The seismic wave equation

1-D wave equation

 2u  2
u
c 2
,0  x  l
t 2
x 2

u (0, t )  0
B.C. : ,t  0
u (l , t )  0

I.C. : u ( x, 0)  f ( x)
ut ( x, 0)  g ( x)
,0  x  l
 The momentum equation

Consider the total force acting on a small volume

element of a cube with density ρ and volume
dv  dxdydz
x1
so net force from the plane normal to across the
volume must be
  11 
  
F ( xˆ1 )    21  dx1 dx 2 dx 3
 x1
 31 
Similarly,

 21 
  
F ( x2 ) 
ˆ
  22  dx1 dx 2 dx 3
x2
 32 

 31 
  
F ( xˆ 3 )    32  dx1 dx 2 dx 3
 x3
 33 
Now, total force from the stress field on all the faces the
cube as,

F  f ( xˆ1 )  f ( xˆ2 )  f ( xˆ3 )

3   ij
Fi  j 1 x j
d x1 d x 2 d x 3

F i   j ij d x 1 d x 2 d x 3 . . . 1
There may also exist a body force on the cube that acts
in proportion to the volume of material, that is-

Fi b ody  f i d x1d x 2 d x 3 ...2

Total force must be

Fi  Fibody ...3

The mass of cube is given by

m   d x1d x 2 d x 3 ...4
Now use Newton's law,
F  ma
from equation 3 and 4 we get,
 2ui
 2   j ij  fi
t

where
 2u i
a 
t2
 Reference
Peter M. Shearer. Introduction to Seismology.
New York: Cambridge University Press,2009.
Thank you…