Description

 This course, devoted to seismology and inverse theory, is divided in two main parts. The first part related to seismology and seismic wave propagation begins with a recap on fundamental continuum mechanics and the development of the governing equations. The latter is then linked to the observation of the different type of recorded seismic arrivals and their underlying information/constraints in the context of source localization or subsurface model building. The second part related to model parameters inference through a set of measurements or derived attributes begins with a linear algebra recap and a detailed look on discrete linear inverse problems. A variety of experimental setups and applications contexts are then examined with a special emphasis on the underlying ill-posedness and resolution limitations of each inverse problem. The last part tackles strongly nonlinear problems with a tour on gradient-based and global optimization algorithms.

Compétences visées

The objectives of this course revolve around the analysis and inversion of observations (measurements) in the context of active or passive seismology. At the end of the semester the participants will be able to:

• Develop the fundamental equations related to wave propagation

• Identify the different seismic arrivals in seismograms and describe their governing physics

• Examine seismic attributes and their utility in a variety of inverse problems

• Distinguish linear/nonlinear inverse problems and their underlying ill-posedness and resolution limitations in the field of seismic inversion/imaging

• Build a seismic inversion workflow relying on gradient-based approaches or global optimization algorithms