ACOUSTIC WAVE PROPAGATION IN STROGLY HETEROGENEOUS MEDIA: A LATTICE BOLTZMANN APPROACH

9th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference - SGEM2009, www.sgem.org, SGEM2009 Conference Proceedings/ ISBN 10: 954-91818-1-2, June 14-19, 2009, Vol. 1, 643-648 pp

ABSTRACT

Here we show how a lattice Boltzmann based approach accurately model acoustic wave
propagation in strongly heterogeneous media. Rather than solving a partial-differential
wave equation in a continuous medium, the lattice-Boltzmann based method directly
simulates the physical processes of wave propagation: transportation, reflection and
transmission. It can accurately handle sharp interfaces at any locations along lattice
links, and total reflections from free surfaces or empty bubbles. I used empty and nonempty
bubbles as heterogeneity in finely layered media and solved the equation of the
wave in these heterogeneous media. The results not only coincide with the reality but
also take less time than finite difference method and were more accurate.

Keywords: Acoustic wave propagation, heterogeneous media, Lattice-Boltzmann modeling.