Typhoon-Induced Microseisms around the South China Sea

Abstract Microseisms in frequencies of 0.05–0.5 Hz are a presentation of solid earth response to the ocean waves that are developed by atmospheric pressure change. The South China Sea provides a natural laboratory with a closed ocean environment to examine the influence of regional factors on microseism development as well as the nature of microseisms. The microseisms induced by typhoons crossing over the South China Sea are investigated. Typhoons are typical transient sources of varying strengths and locations. Primary microseisms develop nearly stationary in the northeastern South China Sea for most typhoons, suggesting effective environment for excitation of primary microseisms. Typhoon-induced secondary microseisms develop around the typhoon paths with time delays varying up to one day. Typhoon-induced microseism amplitudes are proportional to the ocean-wave amplitudes in the source regions, decaying with distance. Ocean waves develop following the typhoons for days. The dominant frequency of typhoon-induced microseisms increases with time due to the influence of dispersive ocean waves. The microseisms are affected by regional factors including crustal structures, coastal geometry, ocean depth, and ocean-bottom topography.