Abstract：So far, forward modeling usually draws support from the solution in isotropic medium. The seismic waves generated by spherical-cavity source in laterally isotropic medium are rarely discussed, which, however, are more significant in practice. We not only offer the general solutions of potential functions of seismic waves in laterally isotropic medium in the case of spherical coordinate system but also analyse the properties of the seismic waves generated by spherical-cavity source. We have confirmed that both the compressional source and the shear source can be expected to generate pseudo P-wave, pseudo SV-wave and pseudo SH wave, and that the potential functions corresponding to displacement components at different directions are coupling each other.
