Chapter 13 Modelling Seismic Wave Propagation for Geophysical Imaging

• Main Author: Tago, J. (auth)
• Other Authors: Cruz-Atienza, V. (auth), Chaljub, E. (auth), Brossier, R. (auth), Coutant, O. (auth), Garambois, S. (auth), Prieux, V. (auth), Operto, S. (auth), Mercerat, D. (auth), Virieux, J. (auth), Ribodetti, A. (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: InTechOpen 2012
• Subjects: Science: general issues; seismic wave; geophysical imaging; Boundary value problem; Finite element method; Free surface; Frequency domain; Seismology; Time domain; Velocity
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

The Earth is an heterogeneous complex media from the mineral composition scale (10−6m) to the global scale ( 106m). The reconstruction of its structure is a quite challenging problem because sampling methodologies are mainly indirect as potential methods (Günther et al., 2006; Rücker et al., 2006), diffusive methods (Cognon, 1971; Druskin & Knizhnerman, 1988; Goldman & Stover, 1983; Hohmann, 1988; Kuo & Cho, 1980; Oristaglio & Hohmann, 1984) or propagation methods (Alterman & Karal, 1968; Bolt & Smith, 1976; Dablain, 1986; Kelly et al., 1976; Levander, 1988; Marfurt, 1984; Virieux, 1986). Seismic waves belong to the last category. We shall concentrate in this chapter on the forward problem which will be at the heart of any inverse problem for imaging the Earth. The forward problem is dedicated to the estimation of seismic wavefields when one knows the medium properties while the inverse problem is devoted to the estimation of medium properties from recorded seismic wavefields.