Seismic ground motion in a layered half-space due to a Haskell-type source. I: Theory

Abstract

In this paper, closed-form analytic expressions for the frequency-wave number domain Fourier amplitudes of the displacement field at the free surface of a layered, anelastic half-space are established. The displacement field is caused by a seismic source described by a shear dislocation propagating with constant velocity over a rectangular fault (Haskell's model). Three-dimensional plane wave propagation is considered in the layered half-space using a propagator-based formalism. The wave radiation from the source is decoupled into P-SV and SH motions and the two problems are treated separately. First, analytic expressions are calculated for the displacement field at the free surface due to unidirectional unit impulses. Then, these expressions are used to compute solutions for the displacement field due to effective point sources associated with a pure strike slip and a pure dip slip. Finally, these solutions are combined and integrated over the rectangular fault area to establish closed-form analytic expressions of the total displacement field at the free surface.