Dispersion in oceanic crust during earthquake preparation

Dispersion of Stoneley waves is studied in a sedimentary layer of ocean bottom resting over basaltic solid half space. Sedimentary layer is assumed a transversely isotropic poroelastic medium. Lower-most solid half-space is assumed to be embedded with vertically aligned saturated micro-cracks and behaves transversely isotropic to wave propagation.Frequency equation is obtained in the form of determinantal equation. Role of phase angle is eliminated by expressing slowness of waves in terms of phase velocity and elastic constants. Numerical solutions for phase velocity and group velocity are obtained for a particular model. Calculations are made for different depths of ocean and sediments. Effect of thickness and density of cracks on these velocities are observed.Special cases are discussed which represent the absence of ocean and sediments, in the model considered. Changes in dispersion are discussed during the stress accumulation in an earthquake preparation region.