Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2003
We have supposed a new approach for the investigations of theeffect of roughness on the propagation of the elastic surfacewaves. The presence of the rough layer is accounted by themodification of the boundary conditions. In the framework of thisapproach we have investigated the propagation of Rayleighwaves on an isotropic substrate having rough surface. It is shownthat the roughness leads to the linear dispersion of the phase velocity ofthe surface waves, which are non dispersive on the ideal surfaces.Also we have investigated the influence of a rough surface offilms, deposited on the substrate. The roughness of the filmsurface produces contributions to the phase velocitiesof Love and Rayleigh modes.In all cases the contributions are proportional to the effectivethickness of the rough layer. It is shown that the effect of therough layer is equivalent to the effect of a thin film,having loading characteristic. The approach can be used forinvestigations of the effect of roughness on the propagationof surface waves on the rough surface of the anisotropic crystals.