A novel fast sweeping method for computing the attenuation operator <i>t</i>* in absorbing media

SUMMARY The attenuation operator $t^{*}$ represents the total path attenuation and characterizes the amplitude decay of a propagating seismic wave. Calculating $t^{*}$ is typically required in seismic attenuation tomography. Traditional methods for calculating $t^{*}$ require determining the ray path explicitly. However, ray tracing can be computationally intensive when processing large data sets, and conventional ray tracing techniques may fail even in mildly heterogeneous media. In this study, we propose a modified fast sweeping method (MFSM) to solve the governing equation for $t^{*}$ without explicitly calculating the ray path. The approach consists of two main steps. First, the traveltime field is calculated by numerically solving the eikonal equation using the fast sweeping method. Secondly, $t^{*}$ is computed by solving its governing equation with the MFSM, based on the discretization of the gradient of $t^{*}$ using an upwinding scheme derived from the traveltime gradient. The MFSM is rigorously validated through comparisons with analytical solutions and by examining $t^{*}$ errors under grid refinement in both simple and complex models. Key performance metrics, including convergence, number of iterations and computation time, are evaluated. Two versions of the MFSM are developed for both Cartesian and spherical coordinate systems. We demonstrate the practical applicability of the developed MFSM in calculating $t^{*}$ in North Island, and discuss the method’s efficiency in estimating earthquake response spectra.