Computational Approaches to Complexity in Geophysics

科学中的复杂性出现在某些问题上，这些问题可能不会作为独立于其他系统的孤立系统进行富有成效的研究。通常，使用计算机模拟来研究这些问题是有利的，但前提是能够设计出正确地对子系统的交互作用建模的方法。这个项目涉及对地球物理学中表现出复杂性的各种问题的计算方法。具体应用在流体动力学(两相流动和多孔介质中的流动)和非线性地震反演的一般领域。在这些问题中的每一个中，组件之间看似难以处理的相互依赖可能会被基本计算机算法的设计所克服，这些基本计算机算法在宏观、聚合行为中产生复杂性，同时在微观、组件级别上保持简单性。

Complexity in science arises in particular problems that may not be fruitfully studied as isolated systems acting independently of others. Often these problems are instead advantageously studied using computer simulation, but only if a method for correctly modeling the interactions of subsystems can be devised. This project involves computational approaches to a variety of problems that exhibit complexity in geophysics. Specific applications are in the general areas of fluid dynamics (two-phase flow and flow in porous media) and nonlinear seismic inversion. In each of these problems, the seemingly intractable interdependence of component parts may be surmounted by the design of elementary computer algorithms that produce complexity in macroscopic, aggregate behavior while maintaining simplicity at the microscopic, component level.