T-phases from Atlantic earthquakes

Summary

Underwater sound waves from earthquakes or so-calledT-waves are investigated for the Atlantic-Arctic area for the years 1953–1968, mainly from Swedish seismograph records, and for comparison also from an earthquake in the equatorial Atlantic withT-waves recorded on both sides of the ocean. The waves travel as sound waves through water, and asPg, Sg andRg over the land path. The North Atlantic source area of theT-waves, recorded at Scandinavian stations, is very well limited in extent with a strong concentration northeast of Jan Mayen, probably due to favourable bottom topography. The calculated sound velocities in water are 1.43 km/sec for the Arctic case and 1.52 km/sec for the equatorial one. TheT-waves exhibit a clear inverse dispersion. The dispersion explains their long duration. The duration of theT-phase increases logarithmically with the maximum amplitudes within theT-wave group and decreases linearly with distance over the land path, corresponding to a quality factor of about 700. Propagation across the ocean by multiple reflections between surface and bottom appears as the most probable mechanism. The particle motion ofT Sg is dominantly transverse horizontal, which is explained by refraction when the waves are transmitted to land. TheT-wave spectra at two different localities show clear relations, depending upon the ocean depths.