| Abstract: | This paper considers propagation of elastodynamic waves in an imperfectly elastic half-space. Two different excitation modes are investigated: a buried source of compressional waves and a vertically directed areal load applied to the surface. Numerical integration of the analytical solution of the wave equation allows study of the vertical and horizontal components of displacement and/or particle velocity anywhere in the half-space. One case of particular interest concerns the examination of particle displacement and velocity at the surface in a circular area above the source. In another application seismograms generated by an explosive buried source are contrasted with seismograms generated by the transient application of a vertically directed load to the free surface. Still another application of considerable practical interest concerns the study of the nongeometrical pS—wave, in particular its characteristics as functions of range and depth. Finally, in the last application the behavior of a rarely observed wave (denoted here by the letter U) is studied in both elastic and visco-elastic half-spaces. |
