[Sh4rd (OP)]

Watching one of my favorite films/ books Dune I was just wondering how far sound actually travels in sand?. I would imagine that sand is a very good vibration damper as though its individual units are very hard solids the overall consistency seems like it would absorb vibration well.

So does anyone know roughly the answer? I realise that the different varietys of sand may make a difference so lets say Sahara desert sand.

[CliffordK]

Pockets of air such as bubbles tend to break up sound waves or shock waves.

So, I'm with you.  Dry sand is likely poor at transmitting sound.
Wet sand may transmit the sound somewhat better.

Sorry, I don't have any quantitative data.

[AllenG]

I think Herbert was referring to singing or booming sands when he wrote about drum sands.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/booming-sands.html

I don't know how well a thumper would have worked however.  The ones in the Lynch film look as if they would have pile driven themselves into the ground more than anything else.

[imatfaal]

Firstly - no dissing the Dune novels - especially the proper early ones!  :-)  Secondly, Am I misremembering my David Attenborough - I seem to remember that some desert dwelling snakes and other predators hunt using the vibrations a/o shifting of the sand.  On a large enough scale sand acts as a fluid - yes/no?  If the wavelength of the sound is such that it treats the sand as a fluid then it will transmit the same as any other fluid - ie very well. OK - I realise that is grasping at straws....