Scattering of surface waves by a sub-surface crack

Abstract The scattering of Rayleigh waves by a two-dimensional sub-surface crack, which is perpendicular to the free surface of an elastic half-space, is investigated. The boundary-value problem for the scattered field is stated, and reduced to an uncoupled system of integral equations which are solved numerically. At large distances from the crack the scattered field is shown to consist of outgoing Rayleigh waves and cylindrical body waves. Graphs of the variation of the amplitude and phase of the forward and backward scattered Rayleigh waves with the frequency and the geometrical parameters of the crack are presented. The stress intensity factors at both crack tips have also been obtained.