Records of loud explosions heard on Seneca Lake date back to the 17th century, but they had become the subject of myth and folklore long before that. The Seneca people, a Native American tribe that lived around the lake, believed the booms to be the voice of a god angry at the warriors who had defiled their sacred hunting grounds, while early pioneers believed them to be drums being played by the spirits of soldiers who lost their lives in the War for Independence.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that scientific hypotheses started emerging, but none of them were confirmed until 2025, when a team of researchers using advanced equipment mapped the bottom of Seneca Lake.
The original purpose of the survey expedition was to document in high resolution the wrecks of 19th-century steamships and other ships that lay on the floor of Seneca Lake, but with the help of advanced equipment, they also discovered over 140 “pockmarks”.
The diameter of these huge depressions ranged from several tens to several hundred meters. Scientists suspected that the unusual topography on the lakebed was connected to the Seneca Guns phenomenon, but confirmation came earlier this year.
Apparently, gas builds up pressure underground over a long period of time, and when it reaches a limit, it breaks through the bottom of the lake and is released all at once. When the giant bubbles rise to the surface and burst, they create a shock wave that produces a low rumbling sound similar to a cannon shot.