3-D acoustic modelling and imaging for earthquake data

Through the use of a very fast, 3-D Fourier transform, the 3-D acoustic wave equation can be efficiently solved for earthquake modelling and imaging. An array of 5122 seismograms can be modelled or imaged in under 2 ½ minutes. The main disadvantages are that the rms velocity above the source must be constant and that the source rupture velocity must be infinite. The main advantages are that the solution does not involve any approximations to the acoustic wave equation, and that arbitrary (spatial) source energy distributions are easily handled. The computational costs are independent of source complexity.