Higher-order mass-lumped finite elements for the wave equation

The finite-element method (FEM) with mass lumping is an efficient scheme for modeling seismic wave propagation in the subsurface, especially in the presence of sharp velocity contrasts and rough topography. A number of numerical simulations for triangles are presented to illustrate the strength of the method. A comparison to the finite-difference method shows that the added complexity of the FEM is amply compensated by its superior accuracy, making the FEM the more efficient approach.