New Research Shows That Maine Is Mostly A Quiet State [MAPS]

When compared to others, do you think that Maine is a quiet state?  For the most part you're right!

This week, the National Park Service released the researched results of "America's cacophony of sound." 

The results are measured in decibels and show the loudness of a typical summer day from coast to coast. The map below shows both natural and human - made sounds.  Sounds from the rushing of a river's flowing water to the sounds of engines during rush hour are all included.  Researchers fed about 1.5 million hours of acoustical monitoring, into a machine-learning computer program.

Keep in mind that a normal conversation between two people averages out at between 50 to 60 decibels.

It's interesting to note that the Eastern United States in louder than the West.

Looking at Maine specifically, you'll easily see the urban areas of the state.  Cities like Portland, Bangor, Augusta and Lewiston are easily identified.  You can even see where Presque Isle is on the map.

What happens when the researchers cut human generated sound from the results?  The map below shows how loud Mother Nature alone is. What really kicks up the decibels is the sound of water, and you can see  where it is. South Florida and the Mississippi River's darker green colors stand out.  You'll also see that the East is still louder than the West.