Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-of-the-earth-as-a-planet-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2013/paper-1/3/c/solution
Past exam of the physics of the Earth as a Planet course of the University of Cambridge 2013 Paper 1 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
The phase velocity in Figure 1 is measured along the Earth's surface. Spherical geometry makes the local horizontal phase speed at radius equal to . In the ray approximation, squared radial shear wavenumber isThe spherical surface-wave evanescence threshold immediately below the discontinuity is thereforeEquality is the grazing limit. Using directly would omit the requested spherical correction. Immediately above the discontinuity the corresponding boundary is . Hence the interval specifically describes propagation just above the jump and evanescence just below it. Slower modes can already be evanescent above .
Intersecting the plotted branches with gives the following approximate upper periods. Below each upper period, that branch is evanescent immediately beneath the discontinuity:
- fundamental mode: throughout the displayed – range;
- first and second overtones: approximately and ;
- successive higher curves: approximately , , , , and .
For these overtones the displayed ranges thus start near and end at their respective crossings. Any still higher curve already above the threshold at the lower plotted period has no evanescent interval within the displayed range. Readings of the closely spaced higher curves are only accurate to about a second, and the plot does not establish their continuation to unshown periods. Nor does the local inequality prove that a mode remains evanescent at every greater depth in an unspecified Earth model.
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