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Topic · Geophysics

Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques

Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques is a research topic within Geophysics. Science Explorer counts 52k research works in it since 1950. 13.7% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.

This cluster of papers focuses on seismic waveform inversion in exploration geophysics, covering topics such as full-waveform tomography, elastic properties of rocks, frequency-dependent anisotropy, seismic data processing, and inverse problems. The papers also discuss the application of adjoint methods, rock physics, and wave equation migration in the context of geophysical imaging.

  • Seismic Waveform Inversion
  • Full-Waveform Tomography
  • Geophysical Imaging
  • Elastic Properties
  • Frequency-Dependent Anisotropy
  • Seismic Data Processing
  • Inverse Problems
  • Wave Equation Migration
  • Rock Physics
  • Adjoint Methods
Research works
52k
fractional, since 1950
In the world top 10%
7.2k
per year above
Top-10% rate
13.7%
share of its works in the world top 10%
Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
+11%
the tick is no change

Which countries lead Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques research?

By volume, China and the United States publish the most (3.5k and 1.3k works in 2022–2025).

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 China 3.5k works
  2. 2 United States 1.3k works
  3. 3 France 296 works
  4. 4 India 278 works
  5. 5 United Kingdom 270 works
  6. 6 Russia 249 works
  7. 7 Brazil 224 works
  8. 8 Germany 221 works
  9. 9 Saudi Arabia 194 works
  10. 10 Italy 182 works

How concentrated that is

The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.

China: 52.2%United States: 19.1%France: 4.4%India: 4.2%6 others listed: 20.1%52%largest
China3,483 · 52.2%United States1,277 · 19.1%France296 · 4.4%India278 · 4.2%6 others listed1,340 · 20.1%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

Which institutions lead Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques research?

By volume in 2022–2025, China University of Petroleum, Beijing publishes the most Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques research, followed by China University of Petroleum, East China and China National Petroleum Corporation (China).

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 China University of Petroleum, Beijing China 219 works
  2. 2 China University of Petroleum, East China China 207 works
  3. 3 China National Petroleum Corporation (China) China 154 works
  4. 4 Sinopec (China) China 122 works
  5. 5 Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development China 118 works
  6. 6 Saudi Aramco (United States) United States 90 works
  7. 7 Jilin University China 84 works
  8. 8 Chengdu University of Technology China 83 works
  9. 9 China University of Mining and Technology China 83 works
  10. 10 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Saudi Arabia 74 works

Who are the leading researchers in Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques?

The most-cited researchers publishing on Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques include Saul A. Teukolsky.

  1. 1 Saul A. Teukolsky 8.4k citations

Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.

Where is Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques research done?

The largest centres of Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques research in 2022–2025 are Beijing (China), Qingdao (China), Chengdu (China) and Houston (United States). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Weybridge, Road Town and Arbroath.

Largest cities, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Beijing China 1.2k works
  2. 2 Qingdao China 321 works
  3. 3 Chengdu China 283 works
  4. 4 Houston United States 183 works
  5. 5 Wuhan China 151 works
  6. 6 Xi'an China 141 works
  7. 7 Changchun China 130 works
  8. 8 Paris France 124 works
  9. 9 Shanghai China 119 works
  10. 10 Dhahran Saudi Arabia 96 works

Where it is the local speciality

  1. WeybridgeGB · 23.0 works193×
  2. Road TownVG · 40.9 works156×
  3. ArbroathGB · 21.1 works94×
← less than its size predictsmore →

Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques than the world average.

See Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques on the map

Where is the best place to study Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques?

Among universities, judged by research, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, China University of Petroleum, East China and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

0%10%20%30%mean 18%fractional works in this node (log) →share in the world top 10% →King Abdullah University of Science and Technology: 74, 23.4%China University of Petroleum, East China: 207, 11.4%King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals: 54, 16.7%China University of Petroleum, Beijing: 220, 15.5%China University of Mining and Technology: 82, 20.2%China University of Geosciences: 71, 23.9%Universiti Teknologi Petronas: 24, 13.1%Southern University of Science and Technology: 44, 22.9%Southwest Petroleum University: 64, 14.6%Jilin University: 84, 18.3%King Abdullah Univer…King Fahd University…China University of …China University of …
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.

#UniversityScoreTop 10%SpecialisationWorksGrowth
1King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Saudi Arabia 71.023.4%30.7×74 +115.6%
2China University of Petroleum, East China China 68.311.4%51.0×207 +235.6%
3King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Saudi Arabia 68.016.7%18.1×54 +201.2%
4China University of Petroleum, Beijing China 62.915.5%65.4×220 +61.3%
5China University of Mining and Technology China 62.820.2%12.1×82 +109.6%
6China University of Geosciences China 61.923.9%17.9×71 +46.3%
7Universiti Teknologi Petronas Malaysia 61.613.1%18.5×24 +408.9%
8Southern University of Science and Technology China 59.622.9%9.7×44
9Southwest Petroleum University China 59.314.6%23.0×64 +140.7%
10Jilin University China 57.318.3%10.0×84 +36.3%

Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.

Is Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques research growing?

Output in 2018–2022 was 11% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2024. The fastest-growing topics are Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques.

19801990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Which topics inside it are moving

Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.