Love Wave Propagation in an Isotropic Thermoelastic Layer With Rigid Boundary Lying Over a Nonhomogeneous Elastic Half‐Space

This paper investigates the propagation of Love waves in an isotropic thermoelastic layer overlying a nonhomogeneous elastic half‐space with a parabolic irregular interface. The study develops an analytical framework incorporating thermoelastic effects, material inhomogeneity, and the interface irregularity. The dynamical equations for each medium are taken using Biot's theory of elasticity, taking temperature‐dependent variables for the thermoelastic layer. The dispersion equation for Love waves is developed using Fourier transformations and perturbation methods, and it shows the relation between phase velocity, wave number, and various parameters of the medium. Numerical simulations are carried out using MATLAB to analyze the influence of key parameters, including the inhomogeneity factor, irregularity depth‐to‐layer height ratio, and the position of the source causing irregularity. The graphical results demonstrate that the phase velocity decreases with an increase in wave number, and for the higher values of inhomogeneity parameters in half‐spaces, material heterogeneity dominates and suppresses the influence of interface irregularity. These findings provide valuable insights for seismological applications, particularly in understanding wave propagation in heterogeneous, thermally affected subsurface structures.