Fomosto backends

The Fomosto tool relies on external programs to do the actual numerical work of Green’s function computation. We refer to these programs (together with the code to communicate between Fomosto and the external programs) as backends. Several such backends exist and this document should give some hints on which one to use under what circumstances.

The ahfullgreen backend

This backend can be used to evaluate the elastodynamic response of a homogeneous fullspace. Analytical solutions, given e.g. in [AkiRichards2002], are evaluated in the frequency domain and transformed into time domain via FFT. It is possible to use single force and moment tensor excitations. The solutions include near, intermediate, and far field contributions, including also the static end value in the near field.

With its limitation to a homogeneous full space this backend is probably only useful for some special case applications, e.g. in mining seismology, to gain theoretical understanding, and for testing purposes.

This backend is included in Pyrocko and no external programs are needed.

To initialize a Green’s function store for ahfullgreen, run:

$ fomosto init ahfullgreen my_ahfullgreen_gfs

The qseis backend

QSEIS is a code to calculate synthetic seismograms based on a layered viscoelastic half-space model. It has been written by Rongjiang Wang [Wang1999]. It uses the orthonormal propagator algorithm, a numerically more stable alternative to the reflectivity method. QSEIS uses many state-of-the-art techniques to suppress time-domain aliasing problems and numerical phases. Synthetic seismograms at up to teleseismic distances can be computed by using the earth flattening transformation (with some restrictions). Different shallow structures can be defined for source and receiver site (body-wave phases only).

Use this backend for local and regional setups, or when different source and receiver structures should be considered. It can also be used to compute single force excitation Green’s functions.

The current version of QSEIS is 2006b (at the time of writing, 2023-10-25), and can be downloaded from https://git.pyrocko.org/pyrocko/fomosto-qseis .

After downloading and installing, to initialize a Green’s function store to be built with QSEIS, run:

$ fomosto init qseis.2006b my_qseis_gfs

The qssp backend

QSSP is a code to calculate complete synthetic seismograms of a layered, self-gravitating spherical Earth using the normal mode theory. It has been written by Rongjiang Wang [Wang2017]. It uses a hybrid algorithm with numerical integration at low frequencies and orthonormal propagator algorithm at high frequencies and uses state-of-the-art techniques to supress time- and space-domain aliasing problems and numerical phases.

This backend is the choice when global seismograms at very low (first eigenmodes) or very high frequencies (4 Hz has been tested) are desired, when core phases are involved or when the coupling of earth and atmosphere is of interest.

The current version of QSSP is 2017 (at the time of writing, 2020-09-04), and can be downloaded from https://git.pyrocko.org/pyrocko/fomosto-qssp2017 .

After downloading and installing, to initialize a Green’s function store to be built with QSSP, run:

$ fomosto init qssp.2017 my_qssp_gfs

QSSP can also be used to calculate rotational seismograms. To create a Pyrocko GF store with rotational Green’s functions, just set stored_quantity: 'rotation' in the store’s config.

The psgrn_pscmp backend

Code to calculate synthetic stress/strain/tilt/gravitational fields on a layered viscoelastic halfspace. It has been written by Rongjiang Wang [Wang2003], [Wang2005], [Wang2006]. It uses the orthonormal propagator method for numerical stability.

Use this code for calculating synthetic static and/or viscoelastic displacement fields of tectonic events, magmatic intrusions or fluid migrations. Especially useful, if synthetics have to be calculated for many points like for InSAR or GPS.

The stresses, tilts and geoidal changes can still be computed but are (not yet) supported by a Fomosto Green’s function store and the respective stacking functions.

Viscoelastic media are defined by Burger’s parameters, these are columns 7, 8 and 9 in the stores’ earthmodel_1d. See this example with a viscoelastic mantle rheology.

earthmodel_1d: |2
      0.             2.5            1.2            2.1           50.            50.
      1.             2.5            1.2            2.1           50.            50.
      1.             6.2            3.6            2.8          600.           400.
     17.             6.2            3.6            2.8          600.           400.
     17.             6.6            3.7            2.9         1432.           600.
     32.             6.6            3.7            2.9         1432.           600.
     32.             7.3            4.             3.1         1499.           600.
     41.             7.3            4.             3.1         1499.           600.
  mantle
     41.             8.2            4.7            3.4         1370.           600.            5.000E+17      1.000E+19      1.
     91.             8.2            4.7            3.4         1370.           600.            5.000E+17      1.000E+19      1.

The time span which is covered in the static displacement series is defined in extra/psgrn_pscmp file (default is only coseismic displacement). Change tmin_days and tmax_days for the time of interest. The sampling rate is taken from the config file’s definition of sampling_rate.

Note

Static stores define the sampling rate in Hz. sampling_rate: 1.157e-05 Hz is a sampling rate of one day!

--- !pf.PsGrnPsCmpConfig
tmin_days: 0.0
tmax_days: 1000.0
gf_outdir: psgrn_functions
psgrn_config: !pf.PsGrnConfig
  version: 2008a
  sampling_interval: 1.0
  gf_depth_spacing: -1.0
  gf_distance_spacing: -1.0
  observation_depth: 0.0
pscmp_config: !pf.PsCmpConfig
  version: 2008a
  observation: !pf.PsCmpScatter {}
  rectangular_fault_size_factor: 1.0
  rectangular_source_patches: []

The current version of PSGRN/PSCMP is 2008a (at the time of writing, 2017-02-14), and can be downloaded from https://git.pyrocko.org/pyrocko/fomosto-psgrn-pscmp .

After downloading and installing, to initialize a Green’s function store to be built with PSGRN/PSCMP, run:

$ fomosto init psgrn_pscmp.2008a my_psgrn_pscmp_gfs

References

[AkiRichards2002]

Aki, Keiiti, and Paul G. Richards. Quantitative seismology. Vol. 1. 2002.

[Wang1999]

Wang, R. (1999): A simple orthonormalization method for the stable and efficient computation of Green’s functions. - Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 89, 733-741.

[Wang2003]

Wang, R., Lorenzo Martín, F., Roth, F. (2003): Computation of deformation induced by earthquakes in a multi-layered elastic crust; FORTRAN programs EDGRN/ EDCMP. - Computers and Geosciences, 29, 2, 195-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0098-3004(02)00111-5

[Wang2005]

Wang, R. (2005): The dislocation theory: a consistent way for including the gravity effect in (visco)elastic plane-earth models. - Geophysical Journal International, 161, 1, 191-196. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2005.02614.x

[Wang2006]

Wang, R., Lorenzo Martín, F., Roth, F. (2006): PSGRN/PSCMP - a new code for calculating co- and post-seismic deformation, geoid and gravity changes based on the viscoelastic-gravitational dislocation theory. - Computers and Geosciences, 32, 4, 527-541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2005.08.006

[Wang2017]

Wang, R., Heimann, S., Zhang, Y., Wang, H., Dahm, T. (2017): Complete synthetic seismograms based on a spherical self-gravitating Earth model with an atmosphere–ocean–mantle–core structure. - Geophysical Journal International, 210, 3, 1739-1764. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggx259