Conventional wisdom relative to community noise or environmental noise tells us that the nighttime noise levels in a remote and relatively undeveloped natural setting should be substantially quieter than the outdoor ambient sound environment that might be measured or perceived during the day in the same area. But reality sometimes flips this notion, as recently documented by a multi-day sound pressure level survey across a large desert area in Southern California using instrumentation capable of one-third octave band analysis and audio sample collection. This paper presents noteworthy findings from this field survey, supported by both quantified sound pressure levels and audio recordings, as a reminder that sound monitoring during nighttime hours can be essential for accurately quantifying and characterizing contributors to the outdoor ambient sound environment of a potential project site and its vicinity.
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