Analysis of Rayleigh Wave Dynamic Response and Propagation Characteristics in Layered Site

Abstract Rayleigh waves, as a type of surface waves, exhibit distinctive properties compared to body waves. Along the horizontal direction of the surface, the energy decay rate is much slower than that of a body wave as the distance from the source increases. Conversely, the energy decays rapidly along the depth direction, with most of the energy concentrated within a wavelength range near the surface. Research has indicated that Rayleigh wave energy accounts for approximately 67% of the total wave field energy during an earthquake, resulting in significant structural damage. Therefore, the synthesis of Rayleigh wave fields is crucial for earthquake prevention and mitigation efforts. In this study, we develop a FORTRAN program to synthesize the Rayleigh wave field in a uniform elastic half-space. Furthermore, we combine MATLAB and FORTRAN programs to synthesize the Rayleigh wave field in a horizontally layered elastic half-space. Finally, we validate the accuracy of our program using a numerical example.