NYTMAG Sonic Voyages

Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes in Hawaii. This spring and summer, it erupted, and ribbons of molten orange lava flowed down to the sea, destroying homes and burning through the forest. It’s a spectacular, cataclysmic sight, and the sounds that it makes are strange and surprising. Photographs by Philip Montgomery. Field recordings by Jeremiah Lofgreen.

Indris, the largest living lemurs, are known for their high-pitched cries, which paired males and females make in tandem. They mate for life, and as they grow closer over time, their songs become more and more coordinated. Photograph by Piotr Naskrecki. Field recordings by the Ethology Lab at the University of Turin.

The salt flats in northern Chile are among the most arid and empty places on Earth. But they’re not silent. As the temperature changes throughout the day, the earth’s crust begins to crack, with a strange groaning and heaving and clanking. Photographs and photo illustration (night) by Thierry Cohen. Field recordings by Bethan and Robert Kellough.

For humans, this city is inescapably noisy. Traffic, heavy machinery, yells, honks — it never stops. But for rats, the soundscape can be calm, quiet, punctuated only by their loopy cries. Photograph by Dina Litovsky. Field recordings by Brian House.

One of the largest single organisms anywhere is the Pando clone, a gigantic grove of linked aspen trees that all grew from the same tiny seed and remain connected by a shared root system. There are more than 40,000 trees, and when the wind blows through them, it makes an unforgettably loud whisper. Photographs by Karine Laval. Field recordings by Jeff Rice.

Our senses of smell and taste are inextricably linked to memory. Sound can be just as transportive. For Lagotians, the singular sounds of the Ojuelegba bus station capture the distinctive energy and bustle of their native city. Photograph by Yagazie Emezi. Field recordings by Pius Fatoke.

Many of the mountain villages of northern Italy have teleferica systems to bring firewood and other supplies down from the mountaintops in containers. The wires that they travel on have a simple purpose — but put your ear to them, and you’ll hear something magical. Photograph by Awoiska van der Molen. Field recordings by Jez Riley French.

In the coral reefs around Lameshur Bay, scientists are studying the soundscapes of the underwater ecosystem. Over time, their recordings will help them better understand reef biodiversity and health. Photographs by Benjamin Lowy. Field recordings by Ashlee Lillis and the Sensory Ecology and Bioacoustics Lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

With their thick walls and huge domes, some of the world’s noted mausoleums have incredible acoustics. In India, Gol Gumbaz is famous for its tremendous reverberations. Tourists come from all over to hear their voices carry for what feels like an eternity in this majestic, moody space. Photographs by Dhruv Malhotra. Field recordings by Asheesh Pandya.

There are more than 50 bat species in Gorongosa National Park. One researcher has spent years photographing them and listening in on their echolocation calls, an otherworldly sound that few human ears have heard. Photographs and field recordings by Piotr Naskrecki.