SEMINAR: Physics Seminar

Abstract: Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) is a data fitting technique in which we seek to find a three-dimensional model of the earth¹s elastic parameters from the data recorded in a seismic experiment. FWI images could be used to explore for oil and gas targets in a basin, to plan and safely drill exploration wells avoiding shallow hazards (such as gas pockets and overpressured zones) and to monitor the production of hydrocarbons from a field. The better the resolution and accuracy in these images and the faster we can generate them, the greater the value.

However there is still a large gap between what is theoretically possible with FWI and what is achievable in practice today. In this talk I will discuss some of the most promising areas of research to bridge this gaps including inverse theory and high performance computing.