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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wingman" data-source="post: 27157849" data-attributes="member: 242181"><p>"Not sure somebody answered that yet but ... the waves bounce back and forth because the waves cannot spread but instead get reflected at each end. Outside, sound or shock waves from blasts would spread in all directions and become weaker, but here the tunnel shape keeps things focused. This is actually what happens inside flutes, organ pipes or any other tubular instruments - the sound gets trapped and the pitch  generated depends on the length of the tube, which determines the travel time of a reflection before it turns back.  The fluffiness (i.e. that you can see the waves) is due to the fact that the explosion is a sudden and high pressure event - a shock wave. The pressure in air changes rapidly across the wave front causing condensation. Air at a given temperature and pressure can hold a certain amount of humidity in gaseous form. If the air's pressure suddenly drops its temperature will too, and can no longer hold the same amount of humidity. All excess humidity turns into small liquid droplets. In shock waves, this only happens close to the wave front so the air gets cloudy where the wave is and returns to normal once it passed."</p></blockquote><p></p>

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