Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Shear wave splitting
open-in-new
<p>Shear wave splitting, also called <a href="/facts/Seismic/Lony1LYX">seismic</a> <a href="/facts/Birefringence/J4lLuR3a">birefringence</a>, is the phenomenon that occurs when a <a href="/facts/Polarization_(waves)/fP33m0eD">polarized</a> <a href="/facts/Shear_wave/CN3pvkJX">shear wave</a> enters an <a href="/facts/Anisotropic/YMqTQWVB">anisotropic</a> medium. The incident shear wave splits into two polarized shear waves. Shear wave splitting is typically used as a tool for testing the anisotropy of an area of interest. These measurements reflect the degree of anisotropy and lead to a better understanding of the area's <a href="/facts/Fracture/nxDNAj0d">crack</a> density and orientation or crystal alignment. We[<i>who?</i>] can think of the anisotropy of a particular area as a <a href="/facts/Black_box/hJeAGnIz">black box</a> and the shear wave splitting measurements as a way of looking at what is in the box. </p>