Elastic-wave scattering in a random medium characterized by the Von Karman correlation function and small-scale inhomogeneities in the lithosphere

Abstract

A Gaussian correlation function characterizes smoothly heterogeneous media, while real heterogeneities in the Earth are often non-Gaussian in nature. Using the Born approximation, mean square amplitudes of the scattered waves have been derived for an elastic media characterized by the Von Karman correlation function. Heterogeneities with different power laws can be defined by the Von Karman correlation function. The sensitivity of fore- and backscattering to heterogeneities with different scales and properties (that is velocity and impedance) is discussed in this paper. The analytical expression for total scattered energy for the incident P waves is also derived for a random medium having the Von Karman correlation function. We find that at high frequencies, the scattered power of converted waves is a function of frequency. In the case of codawave excitation by local earthquakes, which must be handled by the full elastic-wave theory, we can define any type of inhomogeneity by the Von Karman correlation function. It also supports the idea that the lithosphere might have multiple-scale inhomogeneities.