Space-time finite elements for the analysis of transient wave propagation in unbounded layered media

A new method is proposed for the analysis of transient wave propagation in a layered stratum. It makes use of the separation of variables technique and reduces the spatial dimension of analysis to one. The resulting system of hyperbolic partial differential equations is solved via element-by-element computations based on a space-time Galerkin finite element method. This method is shown to be more efficient than the methods based on convolution. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the method. Current limitations and possible extensions are also discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.