Using a synthetic continental array to study the earth's interior

A major field-based observation program (the ''Skippy Project'') is underway to synthesize an array covering the whole Australian continent, using a series of deployments of around IO broadband seismometers for periods of 5 months at a time. Such a time period is long enough to exploit the favourable position of Australia relative to world seismicity to assemble a good sampling of global structure. The distance coverage from available events is very good, so that it is possible to build up composite record sections covering propagation from IO to nearly 180 degrees, with a full coverage of the body and surface wavefields. For deep events al regional ranges, the field arrays also yield good data on mantle reverberation patterns.