High Resolution Simulation of Seismic Wave Propagation in Realistic Media with Complex Geometry

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Research on the interior structure of the earth and its geophysical properties are mainly based on results of seismology. Today, computer simulations of the propagation of seismic waves represent an invaluable tool for the understanding of the wave phenomena, their generation and their consequences. However, the simulation of a complete, highly accurate wave field in realistic media with complex geometry is still a great challenge. Therefore, the aim of the proposed research project is the study and development of a highly flexible and powerful simulation method able to incorporate different material properties of a medium, dynamic earthquake rupture processes, and difficult internal material boundaries as well as topography. The so-called ADER-Discontinuous Galerkin method has the unique property of a numerical scheme that achieves arbitrarily high approximation order for the solution of the governing partial differential equations. By the development of such highly accurate algorithms and their combination with latest high performance computer technology we aim for the solution of actual problems in numerical seismology in order to improve ground motion prediction after strong earthquake events, to estimate local seismic hazard and risk more precisely, and to advance reservoir monitoring and hydrocarbon exploitation in exploration seismology.