Long and Medium-Term Research: High Resolution Delineation of Earth Structure

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VanDecar Long- & Medium-Term Research: High Resolution of Earth Structure This award is under the Program for Long-& Medium Term Research at Foreign Centers of Excellence, which enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twelve months of research abroad at research centers of proven excellence. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complimentary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award for a proposal sponsored by Dr. Robert S. Crosson will support a twelve-month postdoctoral research visit by Dr. John Calloway VanDecar of the University of Washington with Drs. Guust Nolet and Roel Snieder of the University of Utrecht. In order to improve knowledge of the Earth's mantle, and in particular the structure of tectonically active regions, to better answer fundamental questions about tectonic processes, the researchers propose to (A) extract from large data sets more accurate parameters and quantitative data covariance estimates; (B) apply robust statistical techniques to seismic inversion problems to help account for non-Gaussian noise distributions and gross errors; (C) implement non-linear inversion techniques where necessary; and (D) include diverse geophysical data sets (e.g., gravity, phase amplitudes) into the seismic inversion problem in order to help constrain the uniqueness of resulting models. They also intend to perform detailed resolution analyses with (A - D) in place in order to determine what limits the highest quality data, combined with appropriate theory, can place on small scale earth structure. The award recommendation provides funds to cover international travel and a flat administrative allowance of $250 for the U.S. home institution.