The term sonic boom is commonly used to refer to the shocks caused by the
supersonic flight of a military aircraft or passenger transports such as
Concorde (
Mach 2.03, no longer in service) and the
Space Shuttle (up to Mach 27). Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding much like an
explosion; typically the shock front may approach 167 megawatts per square meter, and may exceed 200
decibels.
Thunder is a type of natural sonic boom, created by the rapid heating and expansion of air in a thunderstorm.
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