THE WAVE-EQUATION IN GENERALIZED COORDINATES

This work introduces a spectral collocation scheme for the viscoelastic wave equation transformed from Cartesian to generalized coordinates. Both the spatial derivatives of field variables and the metrics of the transformation are calculated by the Chebychev pseudospectral method. The technique requires a special treatment of the boundary conditions, which is based on 1-D characteristics normal to the boundaries. The numerical solution of Lamb's problem requires two 1-D stretching transformations for each Cartesian direction. The results show excellent agreement between the elastic numerical and analytical solutions, demonstrating the effectiveness of the differential operator and boundary treatment. Another example, requiring 1-D transformations, tests the propagation of a Rayleigh wave around a corner of the numerical mesh. Two-dimensional transformations adapt the grid to topographic features: a syncline, and an anticlinal structure formed with fine layers.