Re-Creating the Sounds of an Underground City #ASA188

Simulating the soundscape of an ancient city can provide useful historical information for scholars.

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NEW ORLEANS, May 21, 2025 – Have you ever walked through the ruins of an ancient city and wondered what life sounded like back then? So has Sezin Nas, a researcher of interior architecture and acoustics at Istanbul Galata University.

The ancient, underground city of Derinkuyu caught Nas’s eye early on. Located in modern-day Turkey, Derinkuyu was built underground to defend against invasion, protect its citizens from harsh weather, and safely store agricultural products. At its peak, it could hold up to 20,000 people. The city spanned seven levels underground, with four main ventilation channels and over 50,000 other smaller shafts

“There is a notable gap in the literature regarding the acoustic environment and soundscape of underground cities,” Nas said. “Studying the Derinkuyu underground city aimed to contribute both to the preservation of cultural heritage and to provide data that could inform the design of future underground urban spaces.”

A collection of images from the underground tunnels of Derinkuyu. Credit: Sezin Nas

“The integration of ventilation and communication functions within the same architectural elements is considered one of Derinkuyu’s most unique features,” Nas said. “This multifunctional use of the ventilation system strongly highlights the exceptional construction process of the site and plays a central role in shaping its soundscape.”

To re-create the ancient soundscape, Nas studied both the history of the city as well as its architecture. She analyzed three types of spaces — a church, a living area, and a kitchen. The room functions, sources of sounds, and even reverberations were considered when creating a 3D virtual soundscape that will eventually allow a listener to experience the sounds of the city.

Nas will present work on the soundscape of the ancient city of Derinkuyu on Wednesday, May 21, at 11:20 a.m. CT as part of the joint 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and 25th International Congress on Acoustics, running May 18-23.

“Derinkuyu underground city is considered an interior environment on an urban scale, which distinguishes it from the open-space urban soundscapes,” Nas said. “Listening to the reconstructed soundscape provides insights into how sound influenced spatial experience, communication practices, and social organization within the underground city.”

Nas said Derinkuyu’s soundscape can inspire the design of future underground urban spaces. She hopes that, in general, soundscapes will be used in the future as systematic tools for studying history.

“This research also highlights the role of historical sound environments as an important and often overlooked component of cultural heritage,” Nas said.

——————— MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————
Main Meeting Website: https://acousticalsociety.org/new-orleans-2025/
Technical Program: https://eppro01.ativ.me/src/EventPilot/php/express/web/planner.php?id=ASAICA25

ASA PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Press Room will be updated with newsworthy stories and the press conference schedule at https://acoustics.org/asa-press-room/.

LAY LANGUAGE PAPERS
ASA will also share dozens of lay language papers about topics covered at the conference. Lay language papers are summaries (300-500 words) of presentations written by scientists for a general audience. They will be accompanied by photos, audio, and video. Learn more at https://acoustics.org/lay-language-papers/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
ASA will grant free registration to credentialed and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend the meeting and/or press conferences, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, AIP staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR ACOUSTICS
The purpose of the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA) is to promote international development and collaboration in all fields of acoustics including research, development, education, and standardization. ICA’s mission is to be the reference point for the acoustic community, becoming more inclusive and proactive in our global outreach, increasing coordination and support for the growing international interest and activity in acoustics. Learn more at https://www.icacommission.org/.

Sound Highways of the Sea: Mapping Acoustic Corridors for Whales and Fish in Colombia’s Pacific

Maria Paula Rey Baquero – rey_m@javeriana.edu.co
Instagram: @mariapaulareyb
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Fundación Macuáticos Colombia
Bogotá
Colombia

Additional Authors:
Kerri D. Seger
Camilo Andrés Correa Ayram
Natalia Botero Acosta
Maria Angela Echeverry-Galvis

Project Ports, Humpbacks y Sound In Colombia – @physicolombia
Fundación Macuaticos Colombia – @macuaticos
Semillero Aquasistemas – @aquasistemaspuj

Popular version of 4aAB5 – Modeling for acoustical corridors in patchy reef habitats of the Gulf of Tribugá, Colombia
Presented at the 188th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://eppro01.ativ.me//web/index.php?page=Session&project=ASAICA25&id=3864155

–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–

Sound plays a fundamental role in marine ecosystems, functioning as an invisible network of “pathways” or corridors that connect habitat patches and enable critical behaviors like migration, communication, and reproduction. In Colombia’s northern Pacific, one of the most biodiverse regions, the Gulf of Tribugá stands out for its pristine soundscape, dominated by the sounds of marine life. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a “Hope Spot” for conservation, this area serves as a vital nursery for humpback whales and supports local livelihoods through ecotourism and artisanal fishing. However, increasing human activities, including boat traffic and climate change, threaten these acoustic habitats, prompting researcher on how sound influences ecological connectivity—the lifeline for marine species’ movement and survival.

This study in Colombia’s Gulf of Tribugá mapped how ocean sounds connect marine life by integrating acoustic data with ecological modeling. Researchers analyzed how sound travels through the marine environment, finding that humpback whale songs (300 Hz) create natural acoustical corridors along coastal areas and rocky islands (‘riscales’). These pathways, though occasionally interrupted by depth variations, appear crucial for whale communication, navigation, and maintaining social connections during migration. In contrast, fish calls (100 Hz) showed no detectable sound corridors, suggesting fish may depend less on acoustic signals or use alternative navigation cues like wave noise when moving between habitats.

Photographs of some of the recorded fish species. Source: Author

The research underscores that acoustical connectivity is species-specific. While humpback whales may depend on sound corridors and prioritize long-distance communication, fish may prioritize short-range communication or other environmental signals. At any distance, noise pollution disrupts these systems universally: The bubbling/popping sounds created by spinning boat propellers, for instance, generate frequencies that can covers up the whale songs and fish calls and degrade habitat quality, even if fish are less affected over the same distances that whales are. Background noise shrinks and breaks up the underwater corridors that marine animals use to communicate and navigate, harming their underwater sound habitat.

Figure 1. Received sound levels when emitted by singers (a) without noise and (b) with background noise, at a grain size of 2 Φ. The left column shows conditions without background noise, and the right column shows conditions with noise. Sound intensities most likely to be heard by a humpback whale at 200 Hz are shown in green, less likely sounds in orange, and inaudible sounds in black. Source: Author

Noise pollution alters behaviors and acoustic corridors humpback whales rely on for communication and navigation in Colombia’s Pacific waters. Notably, the fish species studied showed no sound-dependent movement, suggesting their reliance on other cues. The study advocates for sound-inclusive conservation, proposing that acoustic data (more easily gathered today via satellites, field recordings, and public databases) should join traditional metrics like currents or temperature in marine management. Protecting acoustic corridors could become as vital as safeguarding breeding grounds, especially in biodiverse hubs like Tribugá.

This work marks a first step towards integrated acoustical-ecological models, offering tools to quantify noise impacts and design smarter protections. Future research could refine species-specific sound thresholds or expand to deeper oceanic areas. For now, the message is preserving marine ecosystems requires listening, not just looking. Combining efforts to lessen human noise by using mapped soundscapes to target critical corridors could help in the conservation of marine species.

Simulate Sound in 3D at a Finer Scale than Humans Can Perceive

Ambisonics algorithm helps create rich virtual soundscapes using a domed array of loudspeakers.

The AudioDome, a loudspeaker that can reproduce an entire surrounding acoustic field as if the listener is immersed in a real-life soundscape. Credit: sonible GmbH, Graz, Austria

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2025 – Surround-sound speakers can immerse you in a multimedia experience, but what if there was a speaker that could completely re-create a three-dimensional soundscape?

The AudioDome is more than just a loudspeaker arrangement — it’s a dome of speakers that can create an immersive sound experience that reproduces sound sources at any location when… click to read more

From: JASA
Article: Focality of sound source placement by higher (ninth) order ambisonics and perceptual effects of spectral reproduction errors
DOI: 10.1121/10.0036226

Soundscape to Improve the Experience of People with Dementia; Considering How They Process Sounds

Arezoo Talebzadeh – arezoo.talebzadeh@ugent.be
X (twitter): @arezoonia
Instagram: @arezoonia
Ghent University, Technology Campus, iGent, Technologiepark 126, Gent, Gent, 9052, Belgium

Dick Botteldooren and Paul Devos
Ghent University
Technology Campus, iGent, Technologiepark 126
Gent, Gent 9052
Belgium

Popular version of 2aNSb7 – Soundscape Augmentation for People with Dementia Requires Accounting for Disease-Induced Changes in Auditory Scene Analysis
Presented at the 186th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0026999

–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–

Sensory stimuli are significant in guiding us through space and making us aware of time. Sound plays an essential role in this awareness. Soundscape is an acoustic environment as perceived and experienced by a person. A well-designed soundscape can make the experience pleasant and improve moods; in contrast, an unfamiliar and chaotic soundscape can increase anxiety and stress. We aim to discuss different auditory symptoms of dementia and introduce ways to design an augmented soundscape to foster individual auditory needs.

People with dementia suffer from a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to a progressive decline in cognitive health. Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia refer to a group of noncognitive behaviours that affect the prediction and control of dementia. Reducing the occurrence of these symptoms is one of the main goals of dementia care. Environmental intervention is the best nonpharmacological treatment to improve the behaviour of people with dementia.

People with severe dementia usually live in nursing homes, long-term care facilities, or memory care units where sensory perception is unfamiliar. Strange sensory stimuli add to residents’ anxiety and distress, as care facilities are often not customized based on individual needs. Studies show that incorporating pleasant sounds into the environment, known as an ‘augmented soundscape,’ positively impacts behaviour and reduces the psychological syndrome of dementia. Sound augmentation can also help a person navigate through space and identify the time of the day. By implementing sound augmentation as part of the design, we can enhance mood, reduce apathy, lower anxiety and stress, and promote health. People with dementia experience changes in perception, including misperceptions, misidentifications, hallucinations, delusions, and time-shifting. Sound augmentation can support a better understanding of the environment and help with daily navigation. In the previous study by the research team, implementing soundscape in nursing homes and dementia care units showed a promising result in reducing the psychological symptoms of dementia.

It’s crucial to recognize that dementia is not a singular entity but a complex spectrum of degenerative diseases. For example, environmental sound agnosia—the difficulty in understanding non-speech environmental sounds—is common in some with frontotemporal dementia. Therefore, sound augmentation should be focused on non-complicated sounds. Amusia, another type of dementia, is when a person cannot recognize music; thus, playing music is not recommended for this group.

Each type of dementia presents with its unique set of symptoms, including a variety of auditory manifestations. These can range from auditory hallucinations and disorientation to heightened sound sensitivity, agnosia for environmental sounds, auditory agnosia, amusia, and musicophilia. Understanding these diverse syndromes of auditory perception is critical when designing a soundscape augmentation for individuals with dementia.

Let’s go soundwalking!

David Woolworth – dwoolworth@rwaconsultants.net

Roland, Woolworth & Associates, Oxford, MS, 38655, United States

Bennett Brooks and Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp

Popular version of 4pAAb1 – Introduction to Soundwalking – an important part of the soundscape method
Presented at the 185th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0023505

Please keep in mind that the research described in this Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed.

Our acoustic environment is a critical part of our everyday experience; it is often unconsciously processed with all other stimuli to form an impression of a place and time, but its impact is not always fully understood. Soundscape is a method of assessing the acoustic environment where perception is prioritized. The soundscape method and the soundwalk tool integrate measurements of the human perception of sound with other observations that characterize the environment, such as the sound levels, the type of location and the various sound sources. The combination of these perceptual measurements with other observations helps us to understand how the acoustic environment impacts the people there and can provide directions for possible changes that can improve their quality of life.

The soundscape method suggests assessing all sounds which occur in an environment using collected data related to human perception, the physical acoustic setting, and context. Context includes visual cues, geographic, social, psychological and cultural aspects, including one’s mental image or memory of a place. Soundscape transcends the common studies of noise and sound levels, and is a powerful tool for effecting positive results with regard to the quality of life for stakeholders in the acoustic environment; standardized methodology has been developed that can be adapted to various applications, using sound as a resource. Soundwalks are an important part of the soundscape method and are a useful way to engage stakeholders who participate by consciously observing and evaluating the soundscape.

Figure 1

A soundwalk is an element of the soundscape method that typically will include a walking tour of observation locations over a predetermined route to solicit perceptual feedback from the participants regarding the acoustic environment (see Figures 1 and 2). The participants of the soundwalk typically include stakeholders or “local experts”: members of the community that experience the soundscape daily, users/patrons of a space, residents, business people, and local officials. Soundwalks can be performed from urban areas to wilderness settings, indoors and outdoors; the information collected can have many applications including ordinances and planning, preservation or improvement of the acoustic environment, and building public/self-awareness of the acoustic environment.

Figure 2

The perceptual information collected during a soundwalk includes the sounds heard by the participants and often directed questions with scaled answers; this along with objective sound level measurements and audio recordings can be used to assess an acoustic space(s) in an effort to effect the purpose of the soundwalk. (see Figures 3 and 4) In some cases, the participants are interviewed to get a deeper understanding of their responses or the data can be taken to a lab for further study.

Figure 3

The soundwalk and post processing of collected information is flexible relative to soundscape standard methods to target an acoustic space and purpose of the investigation. This makes it an adaptable and powerful tool for assessing an acoustic environment and improving the quality of life for the those that live in or use that environment, using their own perceptions and feedback.