Estimation of frequencies and Q-factors of Earth’s low-frequency toroidal normal modes using strain data

In the study, estimations of the parameters of three low-frequency toroidal modes 0T2, 0T3, and 0T4, excited by the 13 largest earthquakes of the 21st century, were carried out. The etimations were obtained using the data from the Baksan Laser Interferometer–Strainmeter of SAI MSU. Using an adaptive spectral algorithm, estimates of the modes’ frequencies were obtained, and they were compared with the PREM model. Significant deviations in the frequency estimates of the 0T4 mode for a series of earthquakes were found, showing their possible connection with local inhomogeneities in the values of the speed of shear waves and the Earth’s density in the upper mantle. The splitting of the 0T2 mode due to Earth’s ellipticity and rotation was studied, with frequency estimates of singlets excited after catastrophic earthquakes in Sumatra, Japan, and Chile obtained. An evaluation of the Q-factors of the low-frequency toroidal modes was performed using three different methods.