Numerous data on the spectra of underwater noise due to natural as well as artificial rain show a prominent and characteristic peak at a frequency around 14 kHz. It is argued that this acoustic emission is due to bubbles entrained in the liquid by the impact of raindrops. The mechanics of the entrainment is such that only drops in a narrowly defined size range have a high probability of entraining bubbles. The narrowness of this size range may explain why the 14-kHz peak is so ubiquitous and well defined. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1989