Scientific topics

Video presentation of the team in french (made in 2009, before ISTerre creation)

Our research is based on processing of massive datasets (experimental and/or synthetic) because the analysis of dense network data facilitates high resolution spatio-temporal observations of geophysical phenomena.

We strive to push observational limits by improving existing techniques or through the development of innovative methods to detect and locate - across a range of scales - robust precursors for landslides, volcanic eruptions, fluid migration or seismic ruptures.

These challenging tasks are tackled using a high performance computing environment and massive data storage systems and are further supported by the development of additional (or exploitation of existing) computational grids and associated data bases.


Laboratory wave physics, acoustics and ultrasound

**Objective :
Development of imaging methods in heterogeneous, multi-reverberant or multi-diffusing environments.
– Locating and characterizing the appearance of defects,
– Dynamic imaging in complex environments. **Means :
– Small-scale, analogue experiments of an ocean waveguide for acoustic waves or of the earth’s crust for elastic waves,
– Bending waves in the plates, interaction with holes/fixed points (rivets). (...)

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Ambient Noise based methods for imaging and monitoring the Earth’s interiors

**Context
Since a decade our group has been leading the development of new methods employing diffuse seismic waves such as coda waves (Campillo & Paul, Science, 2003) or ambient seismic noise to gain information about the structure of the Earth (Fig. 1) and about its dynamics in terms of temporal evolution of seismic properties (Fig. 2).
**Objectives
Our objective is to increase the potential of using noise-type seismic waves to image the Earth’s interiors at different scales (from (...)

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Development of methods for imaging the complete waveform and/or observable extracts from recorded signals

Seismic imaging is at the heart of many of the team’s projects, with applications at various scales from the laboratory to the global Earth, including the near surface, crustal structures such as oil reservoirs or volcanoes, lithospheric structures and even the upper mantle.
Listening can be active (shooting), passive (earthquakes) or without sources (ambient noise) : the team is involved in these three types of listening with reciprocal interactions.
The near surface is also probed by (...)

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Imagery : continental lithosphere and volcanic systems

Objective : study the structure
– the craton lithosphere (Finland), to clarify its nature and better understand its origin
– of the lithosphere of continental collision zones (Alps, Eastern Mediterranean), to better understand the relationships between mantle structure and surface dynamics,
– volcanic systems (Guadeloupe Soufrière)
Means :
– acquisition of seismological data by dense temporary networks for specific purposes
– data analysis using in particular the methods developed in the (...)

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