Rayleigh Waves in a Multi-Layered Medium With Applications to Microseisms

An analysis is presented for the propagation of Rayleigh waves in a multi-layered medium with water as the uppermost layer from which it is possible to obtain the group velocity as well as the phase velocity for the Rayleigh waves in an oceanic path with the ocean bed consisting of two upper layers each of uniform composition and finite thickness, underlain by ultrabasic rock extended to large depths. The results have been applied in the analysis of microseisms associated with cyclones and “norwesters”. It has been shown that the period of the microseisms recorded at different stations depends critically on the structure of the continental shelf. The results obtained in the present paper, when compared with the nature of the recorded microseisms associated with cyclones, and their variations, give useful information about the depth and structure of the ocean beds.