abstract
Fundamental-mode Love- and Rayleigh-wave dispersion computations for multilayered, perfectly-elastic media were studied. The speed of these computations was improved, and the accuracy brought under full control. With sixteen decimal digits employed in these computations, fifteen significant-figure accuracy was found possible with Love waves and twelve to thirteen figure accuracy with Rayleigh waves. In order to ensure that the computed dispersion is correct to a specified accuracy, say σ significant figures, (σ + 1)/4 wavelengths of layered structure must be retained above a homogeneous half-space. To this accuracy, the homogeneous half-space is a sufficient model of the true layering it replaces. Using this result, it was possible to refine the usual layer-reduction technique so as to ensure retention of the specified accuracy while employing reduction. With this reduction technique in effect, and with σ specified below single-precision accuracy, the program can be run entirely in single precision; the specified accuracy is maintained without overflow or loss-of-precision problems being encountered during calculations.
