The generalized standard-linear-solid model and the corresponding viscoacoustic wave equations revisited

Abstract

Summary The generalized standard-linear-solid model, also called the Zener model, is widely used in viscoacoustic/viscoelastic wavefield forward and inverse modeling, because the wave equations in this model can be written in differential equation form, which can be solved efficiently by time-domain numerical methods such as finite difference method, spectral element method, etc. For this model, however, two different expressions for the relaxation function (or complex modulus) appear in the literature somewhat confusingly. In addition to this confusion, the time- and frequency-domain versions of the wave equations for the generalized standard-linear-solid model are scattered throughout the literature. Here, we revisit the generalized standard-linear-solid model and seek to overcome the confusion concerning the expression for the relaxation function (or modulus). We present a unified approach to derive the viscoacoustic wave equations. We start with the time- and frequency-domain formulations separately to derive two sets of viscoacoustic wave equations. All these viscoacoustic wave equations are expressed in a simple and compact form. The two sets of viscoacoustic wave equations are equivalent to each other. The proposed method to derive the appropriate viscoacoustic wave equations can be extended to derive wave equations for other dissipative media.