Geophysical imaging is used to see beneath the Earth’s surface. A variety of techniques that are sensitive to different physical properties (e.g. electrical conductivity or density) are used at ERL to map the spatial distribution of these quantities in the subsurface as well as their variation with time. These images are then interpreted to estimate the location and quantity of different materials (e.g. oil or water) in the subsurface. ERL scientists work on multiple aspects of geophysical imaging, working to create images in increasingly complicated geological environments. In addition to seismic imaging, ERL researchers are developing electromagnetic and geodetic techniques for imaging structures and processes in the subsurface.
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Image from "The method of polarized traces for the 2D Helmholtz equation" by L. Zepeda and L. Demanet