Abstract
When an earthquake occurs, energy, which may reach the order of 1025 ergs in the greatest earthquakes is released, within a few seconds or less, from a focal region inside the Earth whose linear dimensions may be of the order of several kilometres. The (somewhat indefinite) centre of the focal region is called the focus.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
General References
Bullen, K. E.: An Introduction to the Theory of Seismology, 2nd edn. Cambridge: University Press 1953. — Contains, especially in Chapters II—IV, VI—VIII, X and XIII, much of the detail of the mathematical argument outlined by the author in the present article. The second edition also contains an extensive bibliography.
Bullen, K. E.: Seismology. Methuen 1954. — A short summary of the main features of seismic wave propagation designed to give the general student of physics an indication of the present-day problems of seismology.
Byerly, P.: Seismology. New York: Prentice-Hall 1942. — A fairly elementary introduction to seismological theory, with a long and useful chapter on instrumental seismology.
Cagniard, L.: Réflexion et Réfraction des Ondes Séismiques Progressives. Paris: Gauthier Villars 1939. — Contains important mathematical theory relevant to seismic ray propagation. In the problem of reflexion and refraction, account is taken of initial conditions and curvature of wave fronts.
Davison, C.: The Founders of Seismology. Cambridge: University Press 1927. — Noted for its account of the earlier history of seismology.
Gutenberg, B. (Editor): Internal Constitution of the Earth, Physics of the Earth VII, 2nd edn. New York: Dover 1951. — An important composite work, with useful chapters on the application of seismological theory to determining mechanical properties of the Earth’s interior.
Gutenberg, B., and C. F. Richter: Seismicity of the Earth and Related Phenomena. Princeton University Press, 1st edn. 1949; 2nd edn. in course of publication 1954. — A thorough account of the magnitudes, focal depths and geographical distribution of the more important earthquakes from 1904 to the present day, and an important source of general statistical information on earthquakes.
Gutenberg, B.: Theorie der Erdbebenwellen, Beobachtungen von Erdbebenwellen. Die seismische Bodenunruhe. In Handbuch der Geophysik, Bd. 4, S. 1–298. Berlin 1929. — An important account of theoretical seismology, with special reference to the progress over the first quarter of the present century.
Honcson, E. A., W. G. Milneand W. E. T. Smith: Bibliography of Seismology. Ottawa: Dominion Observatory (1929 to date). — Contains a most complete list, with occasional short reviews, of papers relevant to seismology and border subjects.
Imamura, A.: Theoretical and Applied Seismology. Tokyo: Maruzen 1937. — Valuable because of its discussion of Japanese contributions to seismology up to the date of publication.
Jeffreys, H.: The Earth, 3rd edn. Cambridge: University Press 1952. — The early chapters contain a most important account of seismic wave propagation by one of the most noted contributors to the subject. The later chapters are concerned with other aspects of the Earth’s interior, but the information in these chapters is important to the sound appreciation of seismology.
Jeffreys, H.: Earthquakes and Mountains, 2nd edn. Methuen 1950. — Contains an exposition, in non-mathematical terms, of salient features of seismology.
Knott, C. G.: Reflexion and Refraction of Elastic Waves, with Seismological Applications. Phil. Mag. (5) 48, 64-97, 567–569 (1899). — Historically important as one of the first papers concerned with the mathematics of reflected and refracted seismic waves.
Lamb, H.: On the Propagation of Tremors over the Surface of an Elastic Solid. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond., Ser. A 203, 1–42 (1904). — Concerned primarily with a surface wave problem admitting of an exact solution, and noted as an important contribution to the mathematics of seismic wave propagation.
Love, A. E. H.: Some Problems of Geodynamics. Cambridge: University Press 1911. — This book, which is entirely composed of the author’s original work in theoretical geophysics, contains a long chapter on the theory of seismic wave propagation, and includes LOVE’S famous contribution to surface wave theory.
Macelwane, J. B., and F. W. Soxon: Theoretical Seismology. New York: Wiley, Part I 1936; Part II 1932. — Part I contains a very detailed exposition of the theory of seismic wave propagation using relatively elementary mathematical methods. (Part II is concerned with instrumental seismology.)
Milne, J.: Earthquakes and other Earth Movements, rev. by A. W. LEE, London: Rout-ledge, Kegan Paul 1939. — Although not primarily theoretical, this work derives importance through the great contributions made by MILNE to seismology towards the close of the last century. In his revision, Dr. LEE has brought MILNE’S earlier work into line with later developments.
Oldham, R. D.: On the Propagation of Earthquake Motion to Great Distances. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond., Ser. A 194, 135-174 (4900). — OLDHAM’S work is historically important in its demonstration of the presence on seismograms of phases corresponding to P, S and surface waves.
Poisson, S. D.: Note sur les Vibrations des Corps Sonores. Ann. Chim. Phys. 36, 86–93 (1827). — Historically important as showing the existence of two types of bodily waves in a perfectly elastic medium.
LordRayleigh(J. W. Strutt): On Waves Propagated along the Plane Surface of an Elastic Solid. Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. 17, 4–11 (1885). — Historically important for its theoretical demonstration of the existence of “RAYLEIGH waves”.
Stokes, G. G.: Propagation of an Arbitrary Disturbance in an Elastic Medium. Cambridge Math. Papers 2, 257–280 (1880). — This contains STOKES’S historically important demonstration of the irrotational and equivoluminal character of P and S waves, respectively.
Wiechert, E.: Über Erdbebenwellen. I. Nachr. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen, Math.-phys. Kl. 1907, 415-529. — The work of WIECHERT, as the founder of the famous Göttingen school of seismology, is of much historical importance.
Zöppritz, K.: ‘Ober Erdbebenwellen. II. Nachr. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen, Math.-phys. Kl. 1907, 529–549. — This paper contains the travel-time tables of ZÖPPRITZ which were extensively used from 1907 to 1930.
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1956 Springer-Verlag OHG · Berlin · Göttingen · Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bullen, K.E. (1956). Seismic Wave Transmission. In: Bartels, J. (eds) Geophysik I / Geophysics I. Handbuch der Physik / Encyclopedia of Physics, vol 10 / 47. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45855-2_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45855-2_3
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-45857-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-45855-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive