TRANSMISSION OF SEISMIC-WAVES ACROSS SINGLE NATURAL FRACTURES

Fractures and other nonwelded contacts are important mechanical and hydrological features of rock masses. Their effects on seismic wave propagation can be modeled as a boundary condition in the seismic wave equation. Seismic stress is continuous across such a boundary, but seismic particle displacement and seismic particle velocity are not. The complete solutions for seismic wave reflection, conversion, and transmission across a diplacement and velocity discontinuity between two half-spaces with different densities and elastic properties are derived for all angles of the incident wave. The ratio between the seismic stress across this boundary and the seismic particle displacement and velocity are described by a specific stiffness and a specific viscosity, respectively. A displacement discontinuity results in frequency-dependent reflection and transmission coefficients and a frequency-dependent group time delay. The velocity discontinuity results in frequency-independent coefficients and zero delay. -from Authors