Computation of high‐frequency seismic wavefields in 3‐D laterally inhomogeneous anisotropic media

Abstract

Summary. An algorithm for the computation of travel times, ray amplitudes and ray synthetic seismograms in 3‐D laterally inhomogeneous media composed of isotropic and anisotropic layers is described. All 21 independent elastic parameters may vary within the anisotropic layers. Rays and travel times are evaluated by numerical solution of the ray tracing equations. Ray amplitudes are determined by evaluating reflection/ transmission coefficients and the geometrical spreading along individual rays. The geometrical spreading is computed approximately by numerical measurement of the cross‐sectional area of the ray tube formed by three neighbouring rays. A similar approximate procedure is used for the determination of the coefficients of the paraxial ray approximation. The ray paraxial approximation makes computation of synthetic seismograms on the surface of the model very efficient. Examples of ray synthetic seismograms computed with a program package based on the described algorithm are presented. Copyright © 1987, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved