Scope

This year MESS focuses on training of advanced tools in seismology. In addition to an introduction to basic concepts the idea is to get started with the ObsPy, Seissol, and Ses(c)3D software. The training is dedicated to researchers in seismology interested in forward and inverse modeling of seismic wave propagation and the use of python-based tools to analyse and visualize seismograms and wavefields.

  • ObsPy (www.obspy.org): Is a modular, python-based library of tools to access seismic data centres, process, and visualize seismic data. We will give a general introduction to Python, introduce the Obspy library and work with specific examples downlowading data and performing tasks like instrument correction, spectral estimation, filtering, etc.
  • Seissol (www.geophysik.uni-muenchen.de/~kaeser/SeisSol): Is a parallel discontinuous Galerkin method implementation of the seismic wave equation on tetrahedral and hexahedral grids, particularly suited for modeling waves in media with highly complex geometries. Training will include basic aspects of grid generation. The fundamental theoretical concepts will be presented but the focus will be to work on simple 2D problems using triagonal grids prepared with an appropriate grid generation tool. The goal is to understand the work flow for Seissol and prepare the use for complicated 3-D problems.
  • Ses(c)3D: A parallel spectral-element implementation of the wave equation with adjoint capabilities (wavefield gradient based computation of model updates from data residuals). The focus will be to understand the work flow for the complete waveform inversion process from simulating synthetic seismograms in 3D, comparing synthetics with observations, reinjection of adjoint sources, calculating the model gradient and step length, and updating the Earth model.