S U M M A R YThe downhole orbital vibrator (DOV) applies the Vibroseis principle to borehole seismic sourcing. Accelerations by an internal rotating eccentric mass excite cylindrical pressure waves converted at the wellbore to seismic waves essentially within 20 • -30 • of the plane normal to the borehole. DOV pressure waves in open water are quantitatively described by a rotating point force radiating acoustic waves with displacement amplitude u(r ) ≈ 1/2 u 0 γ R 1 /r , where R 1 = π 2 ρ dov /ρ water a 2 /λ 2 ≈ 1 mm is the DOV effective size for DOV radius a ≈ 5 cm, length ≈ 1 m and acoustic radiation wavelength λ ≈ 10 m, and u 0 ≈ 1 µm and γ x are, respectively, the frequency-independent DOV displacement amplitude and the direction cosine of the observer relative to the instantaneous point-force axis in the plane of the rotating point force. Crosswell seismic radiation amplitude, spectrum and angular dependence are quantitatively described by acoustic wave diffraction at a slit with DOV axial cross-section 2a , followed by conversion to seismic waves at the wellbore. Seismic wave displacement amplitudes u(r ) ≈u 0 γ R 2 /r scale with effective radius R 2 ≈ 2a /λ ≈ 1 cm. The frequency dependence of R 2 is observed as linear frequency enhancement of the seismic wavelet spectrum relative to the source wavelet spectrum. DOV borehole P-and S-wave production peaks strongly in the plane of DOV rotation, with converted S waves both parallel to and transverse to the borehole axis. The small effective source sizes R 1 ≈ 1 mm and R 2 ≈ 1 cm at operational frequencies 50-350 Hz imply that DOV motion in a borehole is dynamically decoupled from the borehole wall. Dynamic decoupling allows DOV borehole seismic correlation wavelets to be quantitatively modelled in terms of a stable kinematic relation between source and sensor motion. Acoustic and seismic data rule out dipole-source action associated with claims for shear traction and primary S-wave radiation from boreholes. The stable linear kinetics of DOV acoustic action in borehole fluids produces (i) useful crosswell seismic signals at offsets to 650-800 m, (ii) negligible tube waves and (iii) stable seismic wavelets suited to in situ time-lapse seismic imaging of fluid migration fronts in crustal reservoirs.