Hybrid modeling of elastic-wave propagation in two-dimensional laterally inhomogeneous media

Abstract We have constructed a hybrid scheme for elastic-wave propagation in two-dimensional laterally inhomogeneous media. The algorithm is based on a combination of finite-difference techniques and the boundary integral equation method. It involves a dedicated application of each of the two methods to specific domains of the model structure; finite-difference techniques are applied to calculate a set of boundary values (wave field and stress field) in the vicinity of the heterogeneous domain. The continuation of the near-field response is then calculated by means of the boundary integral equation method. In a numerical example, the hybrid method has been applied to calculate a plane-wave response for an elastic lens embedded in a homogeneous environment. The example shows that the hybrid scheme enables more efficient modeling, with the same accuracy, than with pure finite-difference calculations.