Microseisms and Pacific typhoons*

Abstract

Abstract The Naval Aerological Service initiated a project in 1944 under the technical supervision of Father James B. Macelwane, S.J., to investigate microseisms as a possible tool in detecting and tracking severe storms at sea. The first year's work in the Caribbean demonstrated, without a doubt, that microseismic data would be of great value in the forecasting of severe hurricanes and typhoons. Additional work in the Pacific and Caribbean has proved that tropical disturbances actually cause large “microseismic storms.” This paper describes the development of the Pacific Microseismic Project into a new and valuable aerological tool which will greatly aid in the saving of life and property. It is now possible to locate accurately the position of a typhoon by the Seismo method when it is more than 1,000 miles from the Tripartite Microseismic Station.