Wavelet filter analysis of atmospheric pressure effects in the long-period seismic mode band

The importance of the reduction of atmospheric pressure effects becomes very clear when investigating seismic normal-mode spectra below 1.5 mHz. The usual simple correction method consists in subtracting a term converted from local atmospheric pressure (pressure multiplied by a frequency-independent admittance) from the gravity record in time domain. Thus, estimating an efficient admittance is the key for an improved correction. Band-pass filters derived from dyadic orthogonal wavelet transform, having narrow pass-bands with good frequency response but without Gibbs phenomenon and causing no phase lag, are very helpful to estimate an efficient admittance, which is both time and frequency-dependent. Processing of high quality superconducting gravimeter (SG) records for the great Sumatra earthquake (Mw = 9.3, Dec 26, 2004) with wavelet filters reveal the three very well resolved splitting singlets of overtone 2S1 with a single gravity record after correction with time-dependent and frequency-dependent admittances. We also observe all coupled toroidal modes below 1.5 mHz, except 0T5, 0T7 and 1T1, with good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); moreover, toroidal modes 1T2 and 1T3 are for the first time unambiguously revealed in vertical components. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.