Travel time computations using a compact eikonal equation for vertical transverse isotropic media

Eikonal solvers often have stability problems if the velocity model is mildly heterogeneous. We derive a stable and compact form of the eikonal equation for P‐wave propagation in vertical transverse isotropic media. The obtained formulation is more compact than other formulations and therefore computationally attractive. We implemented ray shooting for this new equation through a Hamiltonian formalism. Ray tracing based on this new equation is tested on both simple as well as more realistic mildly heterogeneous velocity models. We show through examples that the new equation gives travel times that coincide with the travel time picks from wave equation modelling for anisotropic wave propagation.     

Non-homogeneous elastic waves in soils: Notes on the vector decomposition technique

Geological media are invariably non-homogeneous, which complicates considerably the analysis of seismically induced wave propagation phenomena. Thus, closed-form solutions in the form of Green's functions are difficult to construct, but are quite valuable in their own right and often play the role of kernels in boundary integral equation formulations that are used for the solution of complex boundary-value problems of engineering importance. In this work, we examine in some detail the types of wave-like equations that result from vector decomposition of the equations of motion for the infinitely extending non-homogeneous continuum, which would be a first step for evaluating Green's functions. Specifically, an eigenvalue analysis is first performed, followed by computations using the finite difference method for a specific example involving a soil layer with quadratically varying material parameters. The aforementioned wave-like equations, defined in terms of dilatational and rotational strains, are originally coupled. Their uncoupling involves use of algebraic transformations, which are in turn valid for certain restricted categories of non-homogeneous materials. Numerical solution of these equations clearly shows attenuation patterns and phase changes that are manifested as the incoming wave disturbance is continuously scattered by non-constant material stiffness values encountered along the propagation path.     

A note on the Klein-Gordon equation and its solutions with applications to certain boundary value problems involving waves in plasma and in the atmosphere

Certain algebraic solutions of the Klein-Gordon equation which involve Bessel functions are examined. It is demonstrated that these functions constitute an infinite series, each term of which is the solution of a boundary value problem involving a combination of source functions which comprise delta functions and their derivatives to infinite order. In addition, solutions to the homogeneous equation are constructed which comprise a continuous spectrum over non-integer order. These solutions are discussed in the context of wave propagation in isotropic cold plasma and the atmosphere.     

Operational interpretation of some integral equations occurring in impulsive wave propagation problems in layered media

Summary Inversion formulae for the operational interpretation of some integral equations, with the exponent of the integrand involving any number of radicals, are given. Equations of the form considered here are of common occurrence to quite a wide variety of impulsive wave propagation problems.     

Propagation of elastic waves in layered media resulting from an impulsive point source

Summary The problems of Cagniard and Abramovici-Alterman, regarding propagation of seismic pulses in horizontally layered media, are solved by a direct method without involving integral transforms.     

Numerical modelling of wave propagation in anisotropic soil using a displacement unit-impulse-response-based formulation of the scaled boundary finite element method

An efficient method for modelling the propagation of elastic waves in unbounded domains is developed. It is applicable to soil–structure interaction problems involving scalar and vector waves, unbounded domains of arbitrary geometry and anisotropic soil. The scaled boundary finite element method is employed to derive a novel equation for the displacement unit-impulse response matrix on the soil–structure interface. The proposed method is based on a piecewise linear approximation of the first derivative of the displacement unit-impulse response matrix and on the introduction of an extrapolation parameter in order to improve the numerical stability. In combination, these two ideas allow for the choice of significantly larger time steps compared to conventional methods, and thus lead to increased efficiency. As the displacement unit-impulse response approaches zero, the convolution integral representing the force–displacement relationship can be truncated. After the truncation the computational effort only increases linearly with time. Thus, a considerable reduction of computational effort is achieved in a time domain analysis. Numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy and high efficiency of the new method for two-dimensional soil–structure interaction problems.     

An alternative to primary variable switching in saturated–unsaturated flow computations

It is well-known that the mixed moisture content-pressure head formulation of Richards’ equation performs relatively poorly if the pressure head is used as primary variable, especially for problems involving infiltration into initially very dry material. For this reason, primary variable switching techniques have been proposed where, depending on the current degree of saturation, either the moisture content or the pressure head is used as primary variable when solving the discrete governing equations iteratively. In this paper, an alternative to these techniques is proposed. Although, from a mathematical point of view, the resulting procedure bears some resemblance to the standard primary variable switching procedure, it is much simpler to implement and involves only slight modification of existing codes making use of the mixed formulation with pressure head as primary variable. Representative examples are given to demonstrate the favourable performance of the new procedure.     

ELASTIC WAVE PROPAGATION IN TRANSVERSELY ISOTROPIC MEDIA USING FINITE DIFFERENCES1

When treating the forward full waveform case, a fast and accurate algorithm for modelling seismic wave propagation in anisotropic inhomogeneous media is of considerable value in current exploration seismology. Synthetic seismograms were computed for P-SV wave propagation in transversely isotropic media. Among the various techniques available for seismic modelling, the finite-difference method possesses both the power and flexibility to model wave propagation accurately in anisotropic inhomogeneous media bounded by irregular interfaces. We have developed a fast high-order vectorized finite-difference algorithm adapted for the vector supercomputer. The algorithm is based on the fourth-order accurate MacCormack-type splitting scheme. Solving the equivalent first-order hyperbolic system of equations, instead of the second-order wave equation, avoids computation of the spatial derivatives of the medium's anisotropic elastic parameters. Examples indicate that anisotropy plays an important role in modelling the kinematic and the dynamic properties of the wave propagation and should be taken into account when necessary.     

Eulerian-Lagrangian method for solving transport in aquifers

A Eulerian-Langrangian scheme is used to reformulate the equation of solute transport with ground water in saturated soils. The governing equation is decomposed into advection along characteristic path lines and propagation of the residue at a fixed grid.The method was employed to simulate transport of a conservative pollutant in a hypothetical aquifer, subject to the equivalence of real conditions. Implementation was based on data involving parameters of a heterogeneous aquifer, heavy flux stresses of densed pumpage/recharge wells, precipitation and seasonally changing flow regimes. Simulation, with coarse grid and high Peclet numbers yielded minute mass balance errors.     

A displacement finite element modelling for convection-diffusion problems

The development of a displacement finite element formulation and its application to convective transport problems is presented. The formulation is based on the introduction of a generalized quantity defined as transport displacement. The governing equation is expressed in terms of this quantity and by using generalized coordinates a variational form of the governing equation is obtained. This equation may be solved by any numerical method, though it is of particular interest for application of the finite element method. Two finite element models are derived for the solution of convection-diffusion boundary value problems. The performance of the two element models is discussed and numerical results are given for different cases of convection and diffusion with two types of boundary conditions. The numerical results obtained show not only the efficiency of the numerical models in handling pure convection, pure diffusion and mixed convection-diffusion problems, but also good stability and accuracy. The applications of the developed numerical models are not limited to diffusion-convection problems but can also be applied to other types of problems such as mass transfer, hydrodynamics and wave propagation.     

层状半无限空间中波动问题的数值模拟

本文对波动方程首先进行富里叶—贝赛尔积分变换,在波数k域内构成(z,t)的有限差分隐格式进行迭代,由此计算出纵向非均匀的层状模型的合成地震图。对含有低速层和高速薄层的几种模型做了对比计算,通过时间场与空间场的波动分析,揭示了几种主要震相的传播与形成过程。计算结果表明,无论高速层的厚薄如何。反射波始终很强烈。但初至首波在薄层构造中不清晰,一种属转换型的续至薄层首波震相值得注意;低速层的顶界面难以形成能量较强的上行波,因此在推断低速层埋深上存在不确定性。     

气枪激发信号传播的谱元法数值模拟研究

为了研究气枪激发信号的波场,本文利用谱元法对双相介质中波的传播做了数值模拟,分析了波的传播特征.本文主要做了以下工作:(1)研究了使用谱无法(SEM)模拟孔隙弹性介质中波的传播,模拟结果表明,采用谱元法能有效解决双相介质的波场传播模拟问题.(2)验证了Biot理论中慢纵波的存在.双相介质中存在明显的慢纵波,流相波场的慢...     

初始应力及磁场作用下导电粘弹体内的平面波

本文研究初始应力及磁场作用下导电粘弹体内的波动特性。首先导出有初始应力及磁场作用下导电粘弹体运动的基本方程,然后用它去研究流体静压力及单轴初始应力下波动方程的解,从平面简谐波的频散方程,分析了初始应力及磁场对波动传播的影响。粘弹体用Kelvin-Voigt模型,外磁场假定为均匀。所得结果表明,初始应力对波的影响随应力性质不同而有所差异,它既影响波的相速也影响波的衰减。磁场影响的大小决定于外磁场的强弱。从本文所得公式中,令外磁场为零,可得初始应力对波特性的影响;如令初始应力为零,就得到磁场对波的影响结果;令两者同时为零,即得粘弹波的经典结果。     

Practical implementation of the fractional flow approach to multi-phase flow simulation

Fractional flow formulations of the multi-phase flow equations exhibit several attractive attributes for numerical simulations. The governing equations are a saturation equation having an advection diffusion form, for which characteristic methods are suited, and a global pressure equation whose form is elliptic. The fractional flow approach to the governing equations is compared with other approaches and the implication of equation form for numerical methods discussed. The fractional flow equations are solved with a modified method of characteristics for the saturation equation and a finite element method for the pressure equation. An iterative algorithm for determination of the general boundary conditions is implemented. Comparisons are made with a numerical method based on the two-pressure formulation of the governing equations. While the fractional flow approach is attractive for model problems, the performance of numerical methods based on these equations is relatively poor when the method is applied to general boundary conditions. We expect similar difficulties with the fractional flow approach for more general problems involving heterogenous material properties and multiple spatial dimensions.     

A semi-analytical artificial boundary for time-dependent elastic wave propagation in two-dimensional homogeneous half space

This paper presents a time-dependent semi-analytical artificial boundary for numerically simulating elastic wave propagation problems in a two-dimensional homogeneous half space. A polygonal boundary is considered in the half space to truncate the semi-infinite domain, with an appropriate boundary condition imposed. Using the concept of the scaled boundary finite element method, the wave equation of the truncated semi-infinite domain is represented by the partial differential equation of non-constant coefficients. The resulting partial differential equation has only one spatial coordinate variable and time variable. Through introducing a few auxiliary functions at the truncated boundary, the resulting partial differential equations are further transformed into linear time-dependent equations. This allows an artificial boundary to be derived from the time-dependent equations. The proposed artificial boundary is local in time, global at the truncated boundary and semi-analytical in the finite element sense. Compared with the scaled boundary finite element method, the main advantage in using the proposed artificial boundary is that the requirement for solving a matrix form of Lyapunov equation to obtain the unit-impulse response matrix is avoided, so that computer efforts are significantly reduced. The related numerical results from some typical examples have demonstrated that the proposed artificial boundary is of high accuracy in dealing with time-dependent elastic wave propagation in two-dimensional homogeneous semi-infinite domains.     

Fundamental solutions to Helmholtz's equation for inhomogeneous media by a first-order differential equation system

Helmholtz's equation with a variable wavenumber is solved for a point force through use of a first-order differential equation system approach. Since the system matrix in this formulation is non-constant, an eigensolution is no longer valid and recourse has to be made to approximate techniques such as series expansions and Picard iterations. These techniques can accommodate in principle any variation of the wavenumber with position and are applicable to scalar wave propagation in one, two and three dimensions, with the latter two cases requiring radial symmetry. As shown in the examples, good solution accuracy can be achieved in the near field region, irrespective of frequency, for the particular case examined, namely a wavenumber which increases (or decreases) as the square root of the radial distance from source to receiver. Finally, the resulting Green's functions can be used as kernels within the context of boundary element type solutions to study scalar wave scattering in inhomogeneous media.     

A viscous-spring transmitting boundary for cylindrical wave propagation in saturated poroelastic media

Based on the u–U formulation of Biot equation and the assumption of zero permeability coefficient, a viscous-spring transmitting boundary which is frequency independent is derived to simulate the cylindrical elastic wave propagation in unbounded saturated porous media. By this viscous-spring boundary the effective stress and pore fluid pressure on the truncated boundary of the numerical model are replaced by a set of spring, dashpot and mass elements, and its simplified form is also given. A u–U formulation FEA program is compiled and the proposed transmitting boundaries are incorporated therein. Numerical examples show that the proposed viscous-spring boundary and its simplified form can provide accurate results for cylindrical elastic wave propagation problems with low or intermediate values of permeability or frequency content. For general two dimensional wave propagation problems, spuriously reflected waves can be greatly suppressed and acceptable accuracy can still be achieved by placing the simplified boundary at relatively large distance from the wave source.     

非零偏VSP弹性波叠前逆时深度偏移技术探讨

非零偏VSP地震资料是一种多分量资料,处理非零偏VSP资料,弹性波叠前逆时深度偏移技术无疑是最适合的处理技术.本文从二维各向同性介质的弹性波波动方程出发,研究了对非零偏VSP资料进行叠前逆时深度偏移的偏移算法,讨论了逆时传播过程中的边值问题和数值频散问题及其相应的解决方案;采用求解程函方程计算得到地下各点的地震波初至时间作为成像时间,实现了非零偏VSP资料的叠前逆时深度偏移.最后进行了模型试算和非零偏VSP地震资料的试处理,结果表明该方法不受地层倾角限制,较适用于高陡构造地区或介质横向速度变化较大地区的非零偏VSP地震资料处理.     

多频段组合菲涅尔带走时层析成像方法研究

针对传统射线层析存在的种种局限性,菲涅尔带走时层析成像摒弃了传统的数学射线,考虑到地震信号具有一定的频带宽度,中央射线附近的介质对地震波的传播产生不同程度的影响。本文提出了多频段组合菲涅尔带走时层析成像方法。该方法以频率域波动方程Born和Rytov近似为基础,推导出建立在带限地震波理论基础上的波动方程 Rytov 近似走时敏感核函数,实现第一菲涅尔带约束下的波动方程走时层析反演方法。同时由于多个频段的引入,充分利用低频段和高频段的特有优势,从而兼顾菲涅尔带层析的计算效率与分辨率。模型试算结果证明了本方法的有效性和稳定性。     

A method for simulating sharp fluid interfaces in groundwater flow

We present a numerical model for two-phase porous media flow, where the phases are separated by a sharp interface. The model is based on a unified pressure equation, and an advection equation for tracking a pseudo-concentration function. The zero-level set of this function defines the interface between the fluids. The finite element method is used for spatial discretization, with local grid refinements in the vicinity of the interface. Examples on applications involving moving interface and steady-state seepage problems are investigated.