microseismn.

1887 G. H. Darwin in Fortn. Rev. Feb. 271 Earth tremors or ‘microseisms’ are not confined to countries habitually visited by the grosser sort of earthquakes.

1888 Times 24 Nov. 15/2 There may have been a succession of microseisms perceptible only to the delicate senses of quadrupeds and other dumb creatures.

1903 Sci. Amer. Suppl. 2 May 22855 Prof. Milne pointed out the distinction which exists between macroseisms, or large earthquakes, and microseisms, or small earthquakes. The former he described as world-shaking disturbances.

1910 Science 22 July 126/1 In Europe one should find..microseisms recorded before the arrival of the low, as the storms travel from west to east.

1924 Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer. 14 28 They [sc. earth-tremors] are now generally known as microseisms.

1959 Observer 6 Sept. 4/8 Another advance is the linking of ‘microseisms’—minute earth tremors which constantly vibrate the recording pens of seismographs—with storms at sea.

1965 A. Holmes Princ. Physical Geol. (rev. ed.) xxv. 916 Some of the more conspicuous microseisms are caused by distant traffic, others by the pounding of breakers on rocky coasts, while others have been traced to changes of atmospheric pressure and especially to hurricanes and typhoons.

1971 Nature 12 Feb. 452/3 Microseisms are of practical importance in predicting the onset of a storm in areas where meteorological observations are scarce.

1988 A. C. Clarke 2061: Odyssey Three 93 No earthquakes here—only microseisms from the geysers.

1992 Earth July 61/1 These minor movements reduce stresses and, in the process, make microseisms (miniature earthquakes) that may possibly contribute in a minor way to the production of the famous Moodus noises.