@misc{Gassner2012,
  type      = {Master Thesis},
  author    = {Gassner, Alexandra Carina},
  title     = {The character of the core-mantle boundary : a systematic study using PcP},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-63590},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {Assuming that liquid iron alloy from the outer core interacts with the solid silicate-rich lower mantle the influence on the core-mantle reflected phase PcP is studied. If the core-mantle boundary is not a sharp discontinuity, this becomes apparent in the waveform and amplitude of PcP. Iron-silicate mixing would lead to regions of partial melting with higher density which in turn reduces the velocity of seismic waves. On the basis of the calculation and interpretation of short-period synthetic seismograms, using the reflectivity and Gauss Beam method, a model space is evaluated for these ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs). The aim of this thesis is to analyse the behaviour of PcP between 10° and 40° source distance for such models using different velocity and density configurations. Furthermore, the resolution limits of seismic data are discussed. The influence of the assumed layer thickness, dominant source frequency and ULVZ topography are analysed. The Gr{\"a}fenberg and NORSAR arrays are then used to investigate PcP from deep earthquakes and nuclear explosions. The seismic resolution of an ULVZ is limited both for velocity and density contrasts and layer thicknesses. Even a very thin global core-mantle transition zone (CMTZ), rather than a discrete boundary and also with strong impedance contrasts, seems possible: If no precursor is observable but the PcP_model /PcP_smooth amplitude reduction amounts to more than 10\%, a very thin ULVZ of 5 km with a first-order discontinuity may exist. Otherwise, if amplitude reductions of less than 10\% are obtained, this could indicate either a moderate, thin ULVZ or a gradient mantle-side CMTZ. Synthetic computations reveal notable amplitude variations as function of the distance and the impedance contrasts. Thereby a primary density effect in the very steep-angle range and a pronounced velocity dependency in the wide-angle region can be predicted. In view of the modelled findings, there is evidence for a 10 to 13.5 km thick ULVZ 600 km south-eastern of Moscow with a NW-SE extension of about 450 km. Here a single specific assumption about the velocity and density anomaly is not possible. This is in agreement with the synthetic results in which several models create similar amplitude-waveform characteristics. For example, a ULVZ model with contrasts of -5\% VP , -15\% VS and +5\% density explain the measured PcP amplitudes. Moreover, below SW Finland and NNW of the Caspian Sea a CMB topography can be assumed. The amplitude measurements indicate a wavelength of 200 km and a height of 1 km topography, previously also shown in the study by Kampfmann and M{\"u}ller (1989). Better constraints might be provided by a joined analysis of seismological data, mineralogical experiments and geodynamic modelling.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Metz2023,
  author    = {Metz, Malte},
  title     = {Finite fault earthquake source inversions},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-61974},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-619745},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {143},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Earthquake modeling is the key to a profound understanding of a rupture. Its kinematics or dynamics are derived from advanced rupture models that allow, for example, to reconstruct the direction and velocity of the rupture front or the evolving slip distribution behind the rupture front. Such models are often parameterized by a lattice of interacting sub-faults with many degrees of freedom, where, for example, the time history of the slip and rake on each sub-fault are inverted. To avoid overfitting or other numerical instabilities during a finite-fault estimation, most models are stabilized by geometric rather than physical constraints such as smoothing. As a basis for the inversion approach of this study, we build on a new pseudo-dynamic rupture model (PDR) with only a few free parameters and a simple geometry as a physics-based solution of an earthquake rupture. The PDR derives the instantaneous slip from a given stress drop on the fault plane, with boundary conditions on the developing crack surface guaranteed at all times via a boundary element approach. As a side product, the source time function on each point on the rupture plane is not constraint and develops by itself without additional parametrization. The code was made publicly available as part of the Pyrocko and Grond Python packages. The approach was compared with conventional modeling for different earthquakes. For example, for the Mw 7.1 2016 Kumamoto, Japan, earthquake, the effects of geometric changes in the rupture surface on the slip and slip rate distributions could be reproduced by simply projecting stress vectors. For the Mw 7.5 2018 Palu, Indonesia, strike-slip earthquake, we also modelled rupture propagation using the 2D Eikonal equation and assuming a linear relationship between rupture and shear wave velocity. This allowed us to give a deeper and faster propagating rupture front and the resulting upward refraction as a new possible explanation for the apparent supershear observed at the Earth's surface. The thesis investigates three aspects of earthquake inversion using PDR: (1) to test whether implementing a simplified rupture model with few parameters into a probabilistic Bayesian scheme without constraining geometric parameters is feasible, and whether this leads to fast and robust results that can be used for subsequent fast information systems (e.g., ground motion predictions). (2) To investigate whether combining broadband and strong-motion seismic records together with near-field ground deformation data improves the reliability of estimated rupture models in a Bayesian inversion. (3) To investigate whether a complex rupture can be represented by the inversion of multiple PDR sources and for what type of earthquakes this is recommended. I developed the PDR inversion approach and applied the joint data inversions to two seismic sequences in different tectonic settings. Using multiple frequency bands and a multiple source inversion approach, I captured the multi-modal behaviour of the Mw 8.2 2021 South Sandwich subduction earthquake with a large, curved and slow rupturing shallow earthquake bounded by two faster and deeper smaller events. I could cross-validate the results with other methods, i.e., P-wave energy back-projection, a clustering analysis of aftershocks and a simple tsunami forward model. The joint analysis of ground deformation and seismic data within a multiple source inversion also shed light on an earthquake triplet, which occurred in July 2022 in SE Iran. From the inversion and aftershock relocalization, I found indications for a vertical separation between the shallower mainshocks within the sedimentary cover and deeper aftershocks at the sediment-basement interface. The vertical offset could be caused by the ductile response of the evident salt layer to stress perturbations from the mainshocks. The applications highlight the versatility of the simple PDR in probabilistic seismic source inversion capturing features of rather different, complex earthquakes. Limitations, as the evident focus on the major slip patches of the rupture are discussed as well as differences to other finite fault modeling methods.},
  language  = {en}
}