B2069 - INVERSIONE DEI DATI GEOFISICI

Learning outcomes

Goal of the course is to provide students with abilities to model and use geophysical data to draw information on Earth processes and structure.

Course contents

Inverse problems are a relatively common occurrence in science, that appear whenever we need to find parameters that best fit experimental data. In these lessons, we will mostly describe the Bayesian approach to their solution, that provides a coherent and comprehensive framework where we find, as special cases, better-known, relatively-common, methods that provide convenient (and long-time popular) solutions. At the same time, we will also present very general solutions that — sometimes at a larger computational cost — may legitimately approach complex problems. We will pinpoint some common preconceptions and errors, that can easily be overcome, and that — although the examples shown in lectures will mostly be inspired by seismic tomography — can affect a wide variety of parameter fitting problems.

Readings/Bibliography

• Tarantola A., Inverse problem theory, SIAM, 2005.
• Jaynes, E. T., Probability theory: the logic of Science, Cambridge University Press, 2003.
• Lecture notes and reading suggestions posted online.
  
  

Teaching methods

Class lectures. Analysis and solution of test cases. Review of the state of the art and current problems with references to articles in scientific literature.

Assessment methods

The final exam is exclusively oral, and consists of an interview starting from an initial topic and following requests for further development made by the committee. The committee will assess the general understanding of the principles and methods at the base of the solution of inverse problems in Geophysics, but also of the limits and range of application of the different methods studied.

Teaching tools

Class lectures. Class notes. Suggestions for practical exercises.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Morelli