Sonic boom

The term sonic boom is commonly used to refer to the shocks caused by the supersonic flight of military aircraft or passenger transports such as Concorde (Mach 2.03, no longer in service) and the Space Shuttle (up to Mach 27). Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding much like an explosion; typically the shock front may approach 167 megawatts per square meter, and may exceed 200 decibels. Thunder is a type of natural sonic boom, created by the rapid heating and expansion of air.