Seismic modeling and imaging based upon spectral-element and adjoint methods

The overarching goal of exploration geophysics is to map or “image” geological structures. Seismic migration, which attempts to map reflected and/or refracted signals to their actual spatial origin, plays a central role in imaging. Migration techniques are frequently based upon approximations to the seismic wave equation (e.g., ray-theory-based Kirchhoff migration or acoustic/first-arrival wavefield continuation methods).