Abstract
The multiple modes of Rayleigh waves (R-waves) or leaky Lamb waves (L-waves) may be present in the activated and/or the back-scattered wave fields. The presence of these waves in the wave fields is related to the source and the cavity depths. Two types of layered media are used to investigate the influences of the source and the cavity depths. One is the layered half space where the half space is stiffer than all the overlying layers; the other is the pavement system where there is significant velocity contrast between layers and the shear velocity of layers decreases with the layer depth. The discrete displacement expressions developed for spherical point sources are used to study the effects of the source depth on the excitability and the propagation behavior of R-waves or leaky L-waves. In layered half spaces, the multiple modes of R-waves can be activated by the sources within a certain depth. The effective phase velocity of these activated modes is derived. In pavement systems, the leaky L-waves can be activated by the sources at any depth. The discrete displacement expressions of the scattered waves are derived and used to evaluate the effects of the cavity depth on the presence of R-waves or the leaky L-waves in the back-scattered wave field.
•Excitability of Rayleigh waves (R-waves) by buried sources is studied.•Effective phase velocity of the activated R-waves is presented.•Excitability of leaky Lamb waves (L-waves) by buried sources is analyzed.•Effect of cavity depth on the back-scattered R- or leaky L-waves is investigated.