Microseisms and weather forcecasting

Abstract

Microseisms are more or less regular elastic surface waves recorded continuously by sensitive seismo-graphs. They may be propagated to great distances except where the energy is dissipated at geological discontinuities. Microseismic waves arriving at a seismographic station can be used to locate the direction of the source. The accuracy of such azimuth determination from differences in arrival times at three stations on a triangle with sides one or two miles long is investigated. Certain types of microseisms are correlated with atmospheric disturbances and can be used in weather forecasting and especially in locating tropical disturbances. Publications referring to this method are mentioned. The method's routine application by the U. S. Navy Department in locating hurricanes in the Caribbean area is discussed, as well as the precautions which must be taken in drawing conclusions from the amplitudes of microseisms.