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Content archived on 2024-06-18

High resolution seismic imaging of the Earth's Mantle using techniques from oil exploration seismology

Objective

Seismic tomography is the primary methodology used to constrain the structure of the deep Earth. Present tomographic images of the mantle are still fuzzy, however, with poor resolution compared to images of the shallow crust obtained in seismic experiments for oil exploration. Small-scale structures, like undulations of the transition zone discontinuities in the mantle or mantle plumes, which produce large volcanoes at the surface (like Hawai or Iceland), are important for understanding mantle dynamics. At the present time, these structures are below the resolution of classical tomographic methods.

Recent deployments of dense arrays of broadband stations, both in North America and in Europe, should result in a tremendous improvement in the resolution of tomographic models. In particular, it is now possible to apply methods developed in the oil industry to study the structure of the deep Earth at both regional and global scales. This project aims to adapt an exploration technique, currently under development, to be used on regional and global data.

This technique uses multiples (waves that have interacted more than once with internal heterogeneities) to detect the thus far invisible small-scale structures of the Earth's interior. This project will encourage communication between researchers from different countries and in different fields of Earth science. These sorts of exploration and global seismology collaborations are just beginning but have great potential.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

FP6-2004-MOBILITY-7
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

IIF - Marie Curie actions-Incoming International Fellowships

Coordinator

DYNAMIQUE TERRESTRE ET PLANETAIRE, OBSERVATOIRE MIDI-PYRENEES
EU contribution
No data
Address


France
Total cost
No data