Simulation and inversion of seismic wave propagation on continental scales based on a spectral-element method

We propose a novel technique for seismic waveform tomography on continental scales. This is based on the fully numerical simulation of wave propagation in complex Earth models, the inversion of complete waveforms and the quantification of the waveform discrepancies through a specially designed phase misfit. The numerical solution of the equations of motion allows us to overcome the limitations of ray theory and of finite normal mode summations. Thus, we can expect the tomographic models to be more realistic and physically consistent. Moreover, inverting entire waveforms reduces the non-uniqueness of the tomographic problem. Following the theoretical descriptions of the forward and inverse problem solutions, we present preliminary results for the upper mantle structure in the Australasian region.