Improved Seismic Monitoring for National and Energy Security with Earth Models from Full Waveform Inversion

Project Overview

Seismic monitoring of explosions and subsurface natural-resource reservoirs can be greatly improved by full-waveform simulations. However, seismic waveforms are difficult to simulate accurately with conventional three-dimensional (3D) earth models derived from seismic measurements made from observed waveforms (e.g. travel times, surface-wave dispersion) or surface geology. Recent developments in full-waveform inversion based on adjoint waveform tomography (AWT) enable estimation of detailed models of seismic structure for improved simulations. This methodology is data- and computationally-intensive requiring large data sets to cover the target region and many high-performance computing simulations to update seismic models through iterative multiscale inversion.

We applied AWT to seismic monitoring for national and energy security applications on two scales: continental/regional scale for underground explosion monitoring and reservoir scale for geothermal energy-resource monitoring. On the regional scale, we developed a 3D model of the crust and upper mantle of the western United States. We showed how the resulting model significantly improves the accuracy of seismic simulations and source moment-tensor inversions. AWT can provide accurate 3D seismic models for improved characterization of sources, which is key to monitoring explosions for national security. On the geothermal-reservoir scale, we showed that waveform inversion can detect where changes in subsurface properties occur following changes in fluid pressure and reservoir operations. This indicates that full-waveform inversion methods can be used to monitor geothermal and similar underground reservoirs (e.g., oil, gas, wastewater injection, and carbon sequestration).

Mission Impact

The computational and data intensity of full-waveform inversion for detailed seismic earth models makes it inaccessible to most researchers. We showed that the combination of improved workflow software and tools and LLNL's world-class computing can greatly accelerate the time to solution for improved seismic earth models. Capabilities developed in this project advance nonproliferation and arms control by improving source characterization of seismic events. They also improve energy security by advancing time-dependent reservoir monitoring. The methods employed and results born of this project enhance science and technology capabilities to meet future national and energy-security challenges. Results achieved in this project have attracted interest in direct funding from NNSA and WFO sponsors.

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

Chiang, A., et al. 2021. "The Effects of 3D Heterogeneity on Regional Moment Tensor Source-Type Discrimination: Application to the Western United States." Poster, Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting. Virtual. April 2021. LLNL-POST-820657.

Chiang, A., et al. 2021. "Regional Moment Tensor Inversion Using a Three-Dimensional Earth Model and its Application to the Western United States." Poster, Waveform Analysis Via Enhanced Formulation of Regional Model Simulations (WAVEFORMS) Workshop. Virtual. July 2021. LLNL-PRES-824513.

Chiang, A., et al. 2021. "Regional Moment Tensor Inversion Using a Three-Dimensional Earth Model and its Application to the Western United States." Abstract, American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, New Orleans December 2021. LLNL-ABS-825228.

Chiang, A., et al. 2022. "Regional Moment Tensor Inversion of the Western United States Using a Three-Dimensional Earth Model." Poster, Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting. Bellevue, WA. April 2022, LLNL-PRES-834084.

Doody, C., et al. 2021. "CANVAS: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography Model of California and Nevada." Poster, Southern California Earthquake Center Annual Meeting, Virtual. September 2021. LLNL-POST-826571.

Doody, C., et al. 2021. "Comparing Adjoint Tomography Models of California and Nevada Using Different Starting Models." Slides, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. New Orleans, LA. December 2021.

Doody, C., et al. 2022. "CANVAS: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography Model of California and Nevada." Poster, Northern California Earthquake Hazards Workshop. Virtual. January 2022. LLNL-POST-826571.

Doody, C. et al. 2022." Using K-Means Clustering to Compare Adjoint Waveform Tomography Models of California and Nevada." Abstract, European Geophysical Union General Assembly, Vienna, Austria. April 2022.

Doody, C., et al. 2022. "Using K-Means Clustering to Compare Adjoint Waveform Tomography Models of California and Nevada." Abstract, Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, Bellevue, WA. April 2022.

Doody, C., et al. 2022. "Moment Tensor Catalog for California Using 3-D Green's Functions." Poster, Southern California Earthquake Center Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, CA. September 2022. LLNL-POST-839755.

Doody, C., et al. 2022. "CANVAS: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography Model of California and Nevada." Seismological Society of America Tomography Annual Meeting, Toronto October 2022.

Doody, C., et al. 2022. "CANVAS: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography Model of California and Nevada." Presentation, American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. December 2022.

Morency, C., et al. 2020. "Improved Seismic Tomography of the Brady Geothermal Field, Nevada, Based Upon Full Waveform Inversion Using Salvus." Poster, American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Virtual December 2020. LLNL-POST-816885.

Morency, C., et al. 2021. "An Automated Workflow for Regional and Reservoir Scale Adjoint Tomography Using Salvus." Slides, Platform for Advanced Scientific Computing (PASC) Annual Conference, Virtual July 2021. LLNL-PRES-824194

Morency, C., et al. 2021. "An Automated Workflow for the Brady Geothermal Field, Nevada, Adjoint Tomography Using Salvus." Slides, American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Virtual December 2021. LLNL-PRES-829693.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2020. "Regional-Scale Three-Dimensional Structure of the Western US from Seismic Waveform Inversion Using Salvus." Poster, American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Virtual December 2021, LLNL-POST-817028.

Rodgers, A. 2021. "Regional-Scale Crustal and Mantle Structure of the Western United States from Adjoint Waveform Tomography." Slides, Geophysical Monitoring Program, Virtual January 2021.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2021. "Regional-Scale Crustal and Mantle Structure of the Western United States from Adjoint Waveform Tomography for Improved Source Characterization." Slides, Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, Virtual April 2021. LLNL-PRES-820614.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2021. "Adjoint Waveform Tomography of the Western United States for Improved Waveform Predictions and Source Characterization." Slides, Waveform Analysis Via Enhanced Formulation of Regional Model Simulations, (WAVEFORMS) Workshop, Virtual July 2021. LLNL-PRES-824614.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2021. "Adjoint Waveform Tomography of the Crust and Upper Mantle of the Western United States for Improved Waveform Predictions and Source Characterization." Poster, GAGE/SAGE Community Science Workshop, Virtual August 2021. LLNL-POST-824855.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2021. "Adjoint Waveform Tomography of the Crust and Upper Mantle of the Western United States for Improved Waveform Predictions and Source Characterization." Poster, Southern California Earthquake Center Annual Meeting, Virtual September 2021. LLNL-POST-826610.

Rodgers, A. 2021. "Adjoint Waveform Tomography of the Crust and Upper Mantle of the Western United States for Improved Waveform Simulations and Source Characterization." Slides, US-UK Technical Exchange on Explosion Monitoring Research (EIVR 58), Virtual October 2021. LLNL-PRES-826966.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2021. "Adjoint Waveform Tomography of the Crust and Upper Mantle of the Western United States for Improved Waveform Predictions and Source Characterization." Slides, American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Virtual December 2021. LLNL-PRES-829617.

Rodgers, A. 2022. "WUS256: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography of the Crust and Upper Mantle of the Western United States for Improved Waveform Simulations and Source Characterization." Seminar to Geophysical Monitoring Program at LLNL. Livermore, CA. January 2022. LLNL-PRES-830590.

Rodgers, A. 2022. "Adjoint Waveform Tomography to Infer 3D Seismic Structure of the Western United States." Seminar to Livermore Computing at LLNL. Livermore, CA. April 2022. LLNL-PRES-833760.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2022." WUS256: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography Model of the Western United States for Improved Waveform Simulations." Abstract, Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting. Virtual. April 2022. LLNL-ABS-830514.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2022. "Adjoint Waveform Tomography with Salvus: Application to Continental- and Reservoir-Scale Seismic Structure." Slides, Platform for Advanced Scientific Computing (PASC) Annual Conference, Basel, Switzerland. June 2022. LLNL-PRES-836232.

Rodgers, A., 2022. "Adjoint Waveform Tomography of the Crust and Upper Mantle of the Western United States." Slides for seminar, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich), Zurich September 2022. LLNL-PRES-839784.

Rodgers, A., et al. 2022. "WUS256: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography Model of the Crust and Upper Mantle of the Western United States for Improved Waveform Simulations." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 127, e2022JB024549 (2022); doi.org/10.1029/2022JB024549.