Theoretical and Computational Seismology

  

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Carl Tape and Qinya Liu have employed adjoint methods in a 2D model of wave propagation to produce sensitivity kernels. Our aim is to apply these techniques to velocity structure models in 3D, both at a regional scale and at the scale of the globe.

We have constructed finite-frequency sensitivity kernels using a 2D spectral-element code for elastic wave propagation. The method we are using involves the interaction between a “regular” wavefield, propagating from the source to the receiver, with an “adjoint” wavefield, which propagates from the receiver to the source. The source of the adjoint field is the time-reversed regular field recorded at the receiver.



fig 1
Model setup for computing the elastic wavefield in 2D. The elastic wavefield can be separated into the two decoupled fields, SH and P-SV. All three components of the wavefield are computed, but the propagation is limited to a depth cross-section (hence 2D). Also shown are the possible body waves for each wavefield. The receiver and source are placed at 40 km depth simply to illustrate some of the simpler examples. The model is homogeneous with absorbing boundaries plus a free surface on top to mimic a half space (fig 1).

(fig 2)

SH wavefield, where we have time-reversed the S arrival to use as the adjoint wavefield source. The snapshots for (a) and (b) show the wavefields at t = 16.00s, where the source initiates at t = 8.00s. The interaction field (c) represents the instantaneous contribution by the interaction of the regular field and the adjoint field toward the construction of the sensitivity kernel for S-velocity perturbations (d). The kernel that forms is a “banana-doughnut kernel”, as illustrated extensively by the Princeton group (fig 2). (In this case it is not banana-shaped because of the uniform velocity field, and there is no doughnut cross-section because these are 2D, not 3D, kernels.)
(fig 3)

P-SV wavefield, where we have reversed the PS+SP arrival, and the kernel
we are showing is for P-velocity perturbations. For the instant in time
in the figures, we see that the interaction (labeled in (c)) between the
regular wavefield and the adjoint wavefield is "painting" the P portion
of the PS phase. The final shape of the PS+SP alpha-kernel will look
like two truncated cigars. The outermost fringes in (d) represent PS
and SP scatterers with comparable traveltimes to the PS and SP phases
reflecting at the surface (fig 3).

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Last Modified 6/29/06
© California Institute of Technology
Contact: Jeroen Tromp
jtromp@gps.caltech.edu
California Institute of Technology Seismological Laboratory Los Angeles Basin Model