What is sonic boom? Sonic boom is an impulsive noise that sounds a lot like thunder. It is caused by an object moving faster than sound, about 750 miles per hour at sea level. An aircraft traveling through the atmosphere continuously produces air-pressure waves similar to the water waves caused by a ship's bow. When the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, these pressure waves combine and form shock waves which travel forward from where it was created. When this shock wave passes, a listener at ground level hears (all at once) the sound emitted over a longer period of time. …
