Geologic Applications of Seismic Scattering

Once disregarded as noise, scattered seismic waves are finding increasing application in subsurface imaging. This sea change is driven by the increasing density and quality of seismic recordings and advances in waveform modeling which, together, are allowing seismologists to exploit their unique properties. In addition to extensive application in the energy exploration industry, seismic scattering is now used to characterize heterogeneity in the lower continental crust and subcrustal lithosphere, to examine the relationship between crustal structure and seismogenesis, and to probe the plumbing of active volcanoes. In each application, the study of seismic scattering brings wavelength-scale structure into sharper focus and characterizes the short scale-length fabric of geology.