The discrete wave number formulation of boundary integral equations and boundary element methods: A review with applications to the simulation of seismic wave propagation in complex geological structures

We review the application of the discrete wave number method to problems of scattering of seismic waves formulated in terms of boundary integral equation and boundary element methods. The approach is based on the representation of the diffracting surfaces and interfaces of the medium by surface distributions of sources or by boundary source elements, the radiation from which is equivalent to the scattered wave field produced by the diffracting boundaries. The Green's functions are evaluated by the discrete wave number method, and the boundary conditions yield a linear system of equations. The inversion of this system allows the calculation of the full wave field in the medium. We investigate the accuracy of the method and we present applications to the simulation of surface seismic surveys, to the diffraction of elastic waves by fractures, to regional crustal wave propagation and to topographic scattering.