Frequently asked questions
The distance between claim and measurement: ten honest answers. Data honesty comes before decoration.
What is the Schumann resonance in one sentence?
It is the electromagnetic resonance of the cavity between the Earth and the ionosphere — a fundamental mode near 7.83 hertz with higher modes at 14.3, 20.8, 27.3 and 33.8 Hz, excited by global lightning.
Is the live panel on this site a real measurement?
The panel has two halves: the waveform and spectrum are a physics-based model, clearly labeled, generated in real time; the Tomsk spectrogram is real station data fetched unmodified from the observatory. We consider this honesty essential on a monitoring page.
Can humans hear 7.83 Hz?
No. Human hearing starts around 20 hertz, and beyond that the signal carries far too little energy to be audible even if amplified. The resonance is seen on spectrograms, not heard.
Does 7.83 Hz affect brain waves or health?
Mode I overlaps the human alpha band, which fueled "healing frequency" claims. Controlled studies have found no consistent, reproducible effect of weak 7.83 hertz ELF fields on brain activity. The signal is picotesla — orders of magnitude below urban artificial fields.
Is Earth's frequency rising to 12 Hz?
No. The frequency wobbles about ±0.5 hertz with seasons and ionospheric height; there is no permanent upward trend. Viral claims confuse short-term excitation spikes with a change of the fundamental.
Can the Schumann resonance predict earthquakes?
No reliable prediction method exists. The resonance tracks global lightning and ionospheric state; no established direct link to crustal motion has survived scientific scrutiny.
Why is it called Earth's heartbeat?
Because Mode I is so stable and globally uniform that the planet seems to share one pulse. The scientific literature avoids the metaphor — but the site title is a respectful nod to it.
How often does the live chart update?
Our server re-fetches the latest published spectrogram every 4 minutes and displays it unmodified. When the source is down, the page says so honestly rather than showing a stale or fake frame.
Are day and night the same?
No. Lightning concentrates over Africa, Asia and the Americas; each center peaks near its local afternoon. Their rotation through the UTC day drives up to ~15% amplitude swings — the panel's breathing is real physics, not a glitch.
Can I measure it myself?
Partly. A vertical antenna, a low-noise amplifier and a sound card can reveal the 7.83 hertz peak from a quiet rural spot — see our measurement stations page for the details. Mains hum is the main obstacle; distance, differential inputs and grounding are half the battle, patience is the rest.
Answers are nice; the signal is better.
See it with your own eyes: the live panel and real Tomsk spectrogram on the home page.