Geophysics applies the principles of physics to the study of the Earth, using measurements and mathematical models to investigate structures and processes that cannot be observed directly. Seismology is a major branch of the field, concerned with earthquakes, seismic waves, and the way those waves travel through the Earth.
Computational tools play an important role across these disciplines. They can process, analyse and visualise seismological observations, interpret seismic datasets, model subsurface structures, and solve forward and inverse geophysical problems. Such software helps researchers infer properties of the Earth from measurements collected at the surface or in boreholes.
Other tools concentrate on seismic hazard and risk, estimating the likelihood and potential consequences of earthquakes. Earthquake engineering extends this work to the response of buildings, bridges and other structures, using numerical simulation to examine how engineered systems behave under seismic loading.
Modern geophysical software also supports parameter estimation, optimisation and increasingly machine learning techniques. These approaches can assist with tasks such as seismic event detection, phase picking and the analysis of very large datasets.
Here we feature the best free and open source tools for geophysics, seismology and earthquake engineering.
Click the links to learn more about each tool.
| Earth Science - Geophysics, seismology and earthquake engineering | |
|---|---|
| SimPEG | Simulation and parameter estimation for geophysics |
| pyGIMLi | Modelling and inversion framework for geophysics |
| OpenQuake Engine | Seismic hazard and risk calculation engine |
| ObsPy | Framework to process, analyse, and visualise seismological data |
| SeisBench | Machine learning toolbox for seismology |
| OpenSees | Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation |
| OpendTect | Seismic interpretation and subsurface analysis platform |
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