Excitation of free oscillations of the earth by the Kurile Islands earthquake of 13 October 1963

Abstract

Peaks corresponding to free oscillation of the earth have been observed in the spectrum of a seismogram written following the Kurile Islands earthquake of 13 October 1963 by a special long-period vertical seismograph, with a 60-second pendulum. The periods obtained for the free oscillations, which are all of the spheroidal type, and which lie in a range of 200 to 1000 seconds, are in good agreement with values previously obtained from the great Chilean earthquake of 22 May 1960. No spectral peaks are observed at periods shorter than 200 seconds. This same phenomenon was observed in the spectra of the Chilean earthquake, and it is probably associated with the properties of the vibrating medium, i.e., the upper mantle, rather than with the source.