A Theory of Microbaroms

Abstract

A theory analogous to the Longuet-Higgins theory on the generation of microseisms explains the generation of microbaroms by standing water waves associated with marine storms.The spectral characteristics and the amplitude order-of-magnitude of microbaroms that are predicted by this theory agree well with observations.The theory is based on the oscillations of the centre of gravity of the air above the Ocean surface on which the standing waves appear (or of the water below, to explain microseisms).These oscillations are of twice the ocean wave frequency and thereby explain the observed frequency-doubling common to both microbaroms and microseisms.The theory is expanded by statistical methods to predict the microbarom-generating effect of more realistic ocean waves, whose phases vary randomly over the Ocean surface.In addition, the effect of the widespread source on microbarom coherence and resolvability at the receiving array is discussed.