On Backus average for generally anisotropic layers

DOI10.1007/S10659-016-9608-ZzbMATH Open1368.86005arXiv1601.02967OpenAlexW2963216745MaRDI QIDQ2014238FDOQ2014238

Authors: David R. Dalton, Theodore Stanoev, Len Bos, Michael A. Slawinski 

Publication date: 10 August 2017

Published in: Journal of Elasticity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: In this paper, following the Backus (1962) approach, we examine expressions for elasticity parameters of a homogeneous generally anisotropic medium that is long-wave-equivalent to a stack of thin generally anisotropic layers. These expressions reduce to the results of Backus (1962) for the case of isotropic and transversely isotropic layers. In the over half-a-century since the publications of Backus (1962) there have been numerous publications applying and extending that formulation. However, neither George Backus nor the authors of the present paper are aware of further examinations of the mathematical underpinnings of the original formulation; hence this paper. We prove that---within the long-wave approximation---if the thin layers obey stability conditions then so does the equivalent medium. We examine---within the Backus-average context---the approximation of the average of a product as the product of averages, which underlies the averaging process. In the presented examination we use the expression of Hooke's law as a tensor equation; in other words, we use Kelvin's---as opposed to Voigt's---notation. In general, the tensorial notation allows us to conveniently examine effects due to rotations of coordinate systems.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1601.02967

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zbMATH Keywords

stabilityseismologyapproximationupper boundgeneral anisotropyBackus averaging

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Seismology (including tsunami modeling), earthquakes (86A15) Computational methods for problems pertaining to geophysics (86-08) Soil and rock mechanics (74L10)

Cites Work

• Transmission of Elastic Waves through a Stratified Solid Medium
• Long-wave elastic anisotropy produced by horizontal layering
• Effective elasticity tensors in context of random errors
• Waves and rays in seismology. Answers to unasked questions
• Backus Average Under Random Perturbations of Layered Media
• Waves and rays in elastic continua

Cited In (7)

• On commutativity and near commutativity of translational and rotational averages: analytical proofs and numerical examinations
• Backus Average Under Random Perturbations of Layered Media
• On the problematic case of product approximation in Backus average
• Statistical and numerical considerations of Backus-average product approximation
• An averaging procedure for layered materials
• Long-wave elastic anisotropy produced by horizontal layering
• On the Backus average of a layered medium with elasticity tensors in random orientations

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