Pn and Sn phases from 25 selected earthquakes recorded since July of 1979 on ocean bottom hydrophones near Wake Island are used to complement and extend prior investigations of high-frequency Pn, Sn spectra in the Western Pacific. At a distance of about 18¿ (≂2000 km), frequencies for Pn and Sn are as high as 30 and 35 Hz, respectively; at a distance of about 30¿ (≂3300 km), as high as 15 and 20 Hz, respectively. Pn phases lose their high-frequency energy more rapidly than Sn phases do, yet Pn wavetrains are much longer than Sn wavetrains. Pn wavetrains of longer duration, more energy, and higher frequencies are found for travel paths primarily in the Northwestern Pacific Basin than for travel paths across the transition zone from the shallow Ontong-Java Plateau to the deep Northwestern Pacific Basin. Sn phases are extremely weak or absent for travel paths crossing this transition zone from the shallower Ontong-Java Plateau to the deeper Northwestern Pacific Basin, whereas Sn phases are well recorded for travel paths crossing the transition zone in the opposite direction. Although normal, mantle-refracted P phases are well recorded beyond about 21¿ (≂2300 km), available data indicate that detectable normal, mantle-refracted P phases may not exist at distances from about 17¿ to 21¿. |