First-arrival traveltime calculation for anisotropic media

Abstract

Abstract Huygens's principle is used to derive a method for calculating first arrival traveltimes in anisotropic media. Numerical results for several transverse isotropic (TI) models show that calculated Huygens traveltimes are in good agreement with traveltimes computed by a finite-difference solution to the anisotropic wave equation. This Huygens method is stable and accurate for the test models and so it may be useful in anisotropic data inversion and wave propagation visualization.