Repeatability of multimode Rayleigh‐wave dispersion studies

Rayleigh‐wave dispersion is used to study the near‐surface elastic properties of a thick, lacustrine clay to approximately 10 m depth. Ten repeated sets of Rayleigh dispersion curves were obtained through late spring to early fall. A variety of methodologies were used to extract the dispersion curves, but a modified frequency–ray parameter (f − p) method most successfully yields dispersion curves for the first three Rayleigh modes. The Rayleigh‐wave velocities varied from 100 to ∼350 m/s with frequency over the band from 75 to 10 Hz. Over this band, these velocities did not measurably vary during the study period. The observed phase velocity curves were inverted with P‐wave and density values obtained from shallow coring to obtain the shear‐wave velocity structure at the site down to > 14 m. This case study highlights the robust, repeatable, nature of surface wave dispersion methods when care is taken in the acquisition of field data.

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