A novel computational method to evaluate the Sommerfeld integral (SI) efficiently and accurately is presented. The method rewrites the SI into two parts, applying discrete complex image method (DCIM) to evaluate the infinite integral while using double exponential quadrature rules (DE rules) for the computation of the finite part. Estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) is used to improve the accuracy and efficiency of extracting DCIM compared to the generalized pencil of function (GPOF). Due to the symmetry of the horizontal layered media, the Green function, representing the seismic fields due to a point source, can be written in the form of Sommerfeld integral in cylindrical coordinate system and be calculated by the proposed method. The performance of the method is then compared to the DE rules with weighted average partition extrapolation (WA), which shows a good agreement, with computational time reduced by about 40%.

When the grid-based finite difference (FD) method is used for elastic wavefield forward modeling, it is inevitable that the grid divisions will be inconsistent with the actual velocity interface, resulting in problems related to the stepped grid diffraction and inaccurate travel time of reflected waves. The generalized finite difference method (GFDM), which is based on the Taylor series expansion and weighted least square fitting, solves these problems. The partial derivative of the unknown parameters in the differential equation is represented by the linear combination of the function values of adjacent nodes. In this study, the Poisson disk node generation algorithm and the centroid Voronoi node adjustment algorithm were combined to obtain an even and random node distribution. The generated nodes fit the internal boundary more accurately for model discretization, without the presence of diffracted waves caused by the stepped grid. To avoid the instability caused by the introduction of boundary conditions, a Cerjan damping boundary condition was proposed for boundary reflection processing. The test results generated by the different models showed that the generalized finite difference method can effectively solve the problems related to inaccurate travel time of reflection waves and stepped grid diffraction.

To study the generation mechanism and propagation rule of Rayleigh surface waves, and to accelerate the corresponding development of data processing method, the paper applies the finite‐difference method with staggered grids to simulate full‐wave‐fields, including both Rayleigh surface wave and body waves, in shallow isotropic media based on elastic wave equations. Meanwhile, a variable coefficient absorbing boundary condition, which makes the treatment of boundary condition more simplified and more effective, is developed. Furthermore, a method to process angle points is also proposed. Simulations have been done for continuous and stratified media which are common in the field of engineering survey, and more realistic seismograms are obtained. According to the synthetic records, the condition of Rayleigh surface wave excitation is investigated, and the influence of the depth of epicenter on the energy of surface wave is discussed.