Why does the thunder from close lightning produce a BOOM and then a slow fade off? Why does it fade off instead of just stop? Conversely, why is thunder from far away a slow fade-on instead of an instant but quieter boom?

Question

Why does the thunder from close lightning produce a BOOM and then a slow fade off? Why does it fade off instead of just stop? Conversely, why is thunder from far away a slow fade-on instead of an instant but quieter boom?

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Answer 1

The Boom is what you are hearing. The slow fade off, is the echo of the boom off of everything around you. The sound you hear immediately after the boom, is the sound bouncing off houses around you, then after that it is the sound from buildings down the street, and it keeps going further until the distance gets too far to hear.