THORSTEN W. BECKER
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Southern California
Los Angeles

Seismic tomography
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downloads: [software] [tomography] [visualizations] [global maps] [SKS]

  • SMEAN-WUS and PMEAN-WUS composite western United States upper mantle tomography models


    These MEAN-WUS models are averages of SH11 (Schmandt and Humphreys, 2010), DNA09 (Obrebski et al., 2010), and NWUS (James et al., 2011), constructed for my comparative analysis of tomographic models.

  • SMEAN and PMEAN composite tomography models

    SMEAN and PMEAN are global, composite mantle tomography models constructed by Becker & Boschi (2002) by averaging existing, similar S and P wave models (Grand, Scripps, and S20RTS for SMEAN, MIT P and BDP00 for PMEAN) in an attempt to isolate robust wave speed anomalies for geodynamic interpretation.

    SMEAN is often found to outperform other models with respect to predicting geophysical observables such as the geoid (Steinberger & Calderwood, 2006). SMEAN also leads to the highest correlations of velocity anomalies with deep mantle plumes (Boschi et al., 2008), and does as well, or better than, the original models when comparing full wave forms (Qin et al., 2009). A reference is

    • Becker, T. W. and Boschi, L.: A comparison of tomographic and geodynamic mantle models, Geochem., Geophys., Geosyst., 3 (1), 1003, doi:10.1029/2001GC000168, 2002. (PDF)

    SMEAN and PMEAN can be downloaded in the original spherical harmonics format of Becker & Boschi (2002) (download spherical harmonics handling tools here), or expanded into GMT/Netcdf grids (REAMDE files included)

  • A comparison of global mantle tomography models

    You can find the additional online material and tomographic model expansions from
    • Becker, T. W. and Boschi, L.: A comparison of tomographic and geodynamic mantle models, Geochem., Geophys., Geosyst., 3 (1), 1003, doi:10.1029/2001GC000168, 2002. (PDF)
    on the Becker & Boschi: Correlations between tomographic models page. For example: The software for converting global tomography models from the common format global tomography model files from spherical harmonics to spatial GMT/Netcdf grids can be found on the software page, under "shansyn". SEATREE can compute mantle flow and the geoid from these files.

    An updated version that compares more recently developed models is in the works.

  • Solid Earth Research and Teaching Environment (SEATREE) modules

    • hc can compute the geoid and mantle flow from the spherical harmonics format used on by shansyn and on our tomography repository.
    • larry3D is a 3-D, global body-wave tomography tool
    • larry is a 2-D, global surface-wave, phase velocity tomography tool
    • syn2d is a 2-D, synthetic tomography teaching tool

  • Some of our tomography related publications

    • Becker, T. W. On recent seismic tomography for the western United States. Geochem., Geophys., Geosys., 13, Q01W10, doi:10.1029/2011GC003977, 2012. (PDF)
    • Schaefer, J. F., Boschi, L., Becker, T. W. and Kissling, E.: Radial anisotropy in the European mantle: Tomographic studies explored in terms of mantle flow. Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L23304, doi:10.1029/2011GL049687, 2011. (PDF)
    • Boschi, L. and Becker, T. W.: Vertical coherence in mantle heterogeneity from global seismic data. Geophys. Res. Lett., 38 (L20306), doi:10.1029/2011GL049281, 2011. (PDF)
    • Bull, A. L., McNamara, A. K., Becker, T. W., and Ritsema, J.: Global scale models of the mantle flow field predicted by synthetic tomography models. Phys. Earth Planet. Int., 182, 129-138, 2010. (PDF)
    • Foley, B. and Becker, T. W.: Generation of plate-like behavior and mantle heterogeneity from a spherical, visco-plastic convection model. G-Cubed,Geochem., Geophys., Geosys., 10, Q08001, doi:10.1029/2009GC002378, 2009. (PDF)
    • Qin, Y., Capdeville, Y., Montagner, J.-P., Boschi, L., and Becker, T. W.: Reliability of mantle tomography models assessed by spectral-element simulation. Geophys. J. Int., 177, 125-144, 2009. (PDF)
    • Boschi, L., Becker, T. W., and Steinberger, B.: On the statistical significance of correlations between synthetic mantle plumes and tomographic models. Physics Earth Planet. Int., 260, 230-238, 2008. (PDF)
    • Boschi, L., T. W. Becker, and B. Steinberger, Mantle plumes: Dynamic models and seismic images, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 8, Q10006, doi:10.1029/2007GC001733, 2007. (PDF)
    • Boschi, L., Becker, T. W., Soldati, G., and Dziewonski, A. M.: On the relevance of Born theory in global seismic tomography. Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L06302, doi:10.1029/2005GL025063, 2006. (PDF).
    • Becker, T. W. and Boschi, L.: A comparison of tomographic and geodynamic mantle models, Geochem., Geophys., Geosyst., 3, (1), 1003, doi:10.1029/2001GC000168, 2002. (PDF)
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downloads: [software] [tomography] [visualizations] [global maps] [SKS]
Updated: May 25, 2013. (c) USC Geodynamics