Penetration of transverse waves through a thin magma layer

Ascertain how transverse waves with displacements perpendicular to the plane of incidence can penetrate a thin magma layer and determine what constraints this imposes on the existence and properties of such a layer, beyond what can be concluded from the seismic velocity curve alone.

Background

The text raises a specific question about the ability of transverse (shear) waves with perpendicular displacements to traverse a thin magma layer, considering both viscous and elastic-but-less-rigid scenarios. It emphasizes that relying solely on the seismic velocity curve is insufficient to resolve this issue, motivating an investigation based on wave behavior at interfaces.

The subsequent analysis explores attenuation and phase velocities in viscous media and reflection/transmission in elastic layers, but the initial uncertainty explicitly states the need to resolve the penetration question to infer properties and even the existence of such a layer.

References

This leads us to the question: how can transverse waves perpendicular to the plane of incidence penetrate a thin magma layer? Answering this question requires us to establish what we know about the existence of such a magma layer based on the characteristics of the transverse waves that pass through it. Since, at present, we are unable to obtain definitive answers to this question solely from the seismic velocity curve.

— Zoeppritz equations: from seismology to medical exploration  (2510.26668 - Saavedra et al., 30 Oct 2025) in Appendix 1 (Zoeppritz translation), Magma layers section