A scientist and former meteorologist was studying the language of elephants in the wild, and especially their mating calls. He found that the females emit an extremely low tone long sound wave mating call at certain times of the year, but they wait to do so typically until sunset or shortly after. These sounds can be heard by male elephants from as far as 10 miles. He inferred that elephants were using their meteorological knowledge in two respects 1 sound travels much farther over a landscape when there is a temperature inversion colder, denser air near the surface and this is often the case shortly after sunset; 2 surface winds often subside and calm after sunset and therefore permit sound to be detected at greater distances not having to compete against the aeolian sounds of the wind. In addition, sounds of longer wavelength tend to
travel farther in the atmosphere than high pitched short wavelength sounds. On the other hand, perhaps elephants are simply in a more romantic mood after the sun goes down.