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The interaction of ocean waves with either the seafloor or other ocean waves generates primary (PM) and secondary microseisms (SM) that propagate through the crust and mantle, predominantly as Rayleigh waves. The horseshoe geometry and surrounding bathymetry of the Cape Verde archipelago play a significant role in the ambient-noise generation in this region. We analyze the microseisms recorded in the region using two different temporary seismic networks, and we determine the number of signals polarized as Rayleigh waves and their back azimuth (BAZ) as a function of time and frequency. The relative number of polarized signals between PM and SM varies between the stations. At most of the stations, the SM can be divided into two frequency bands. At lower frequencies (0.1-0.2 Hz), the number of SM signals is stable throughout the year, whereas at higher frequencies (0.2-0.3 Hz) this number varies with the season, with more polarized signals during the northern hemisphere spring and summer. In both frequency ranges and at most stations, the BAZ does not vary significantly over the year and points toward sources within the archipelago and outside. We compute the source site effect and show that the local bathymetry around the Cape Verde Islands strongly amplifies local SM sources. Finally, we compare the measured BAZ with source areas derived from an ocean-wave model, which confirms that Cape Verde stations mostly record local sources.

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SUMMARY We present a seismic ambient noise tomography of the Cape Verde archipelago, located in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 600 km west of Senegal. We used 38 seismic broadband stations that continuously recorded for 10 months, in order to construct the first 3-D model of Sv-wave velocities for the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the Cape Verde region. We started by computing phase cross-correlations for vertical component recordings using all possible inter-island station pairs. Next, a time-frequency phase-weighted stack was applied to obtain robust Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion curves in the period band between 10 s and 24 s. Group-velocity maps at different periods are obtained by inverting the dispersion. We then inverted the group-velocity maps to obtain the 3D shear-wave velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath Cape Verde. The final 3D model extends from 8 km down to 23 km and has a lateral resolution of about 50 km. The crust in the southwestern sector, encompassing Fogo, presents lower S-wave velocities that may be caused by the presence of melt pockets and/or hydrothermal fluids circulation. The uppermost mantle beneath the northwestern sector is characterized by higher S-wave velocities in agreement with previous results obtained from Ps and Sp receiver functions. Those high-velocity anomalies can reflect non-altered crust or remnants of magma chambers or solidified basaltic intrusions, which fed the volcanism in these islands. Our maps revealed the presence of crustal underplating across the entire archipelago, yet stronger beneath the groups Santo Antão—São Vicente—São Nicolau and Fogo—Santiago—Maio.

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