ABSTRACT
The spatial attenuation of surface waves as they propagate away from the source is associated with the geometric spreading and with the intrinsic energy dissipation caused by material damping. The estimation of the intrinsic attenuation component can be used for the characterization of the dissipative properties of the medium, typically assuming a viscoelastic constitutive model. This chapter deals with the methods used to estimate the surface wave attenuation parameters to be used in a subsequent inversion process aimed at estimating the small-strain damping ratio profile (see Chapter 6).
