Effect of ocean eddies on seismic <i>T</i> waves

Earthquakes excite sound waves along continental margins, T waves, that can propagate for thousands of kilometers in the ocean. The complex T waveforms are shaped by the extended region of seismic-to-acoustic conversion. Because the conversion has a width comparable to ocean eddies, T waveforms can be modified substantially by the subsequent propagation through eddies. Sound speed anomalies associated with eddies shift arrival times, so waves arriving from different azimuths can have experienced different phase shifts, making the recorded waveform an eddy-dependent interference pattern. Leveraging this multipath propagation can improve the spatial resolution of deep-ocean temperature change estimated with T waves.