Influence of marine model parameters on the dispersion characteristics of Scholte waves

Scholte waves serve as surface waves propagating at a fluid-solid interface, carrying abundant seabed information. They exhibit dispersion during propagation, which is primarily controlled by the parameters of both seawater and seabed. To investigate the influence of different marine environments on Scholte waves, this study first derived the equation expressing their dispersion characteristics based on a layered seabed model. Then, using the staggered-grid finite-difference (SGFD) method, it conducted forward modeling on several typical marine models. The dispersion characteristics of the theoretical Scholte wavefields were analyzed using the cross-correlation and phase-shifting (CCPS) method. The analysis results show that the dispersion characteristics of Scholte waves weakened with increased seawater depth. In addition, Scholte waves are highly sensitive to changes in the S-wave velocity of the medium that, in turn, exert a significant impact on the dispersion characteristics of Scholte waves. In the case of decreased S-wave velocity of the solid medium layers, the Scholte waves exhibited stronger dispersion, accompanied by significant changes in both energy and dispersion curves.