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Home page of Dr. Christophe Zaroli

Lecturer at the University of Strasbourg
—
Maître de conférences (hors classe, HDR)
Teaching @ EOST:
- Mathematics & computer science (applied to geophysics).
Research @ ITES:
- Seismology / Seismic tomography
- Development of new methods (SOLA–Backus–Gilbert tomography).
- Seismic imaging of the Earth's interior at various scales
Watch my talk on SOLA tomography (Collège de France, Paris, 2021):
- Global Seismic Tomography Using SOLA-Backus-Gilbert Inversion (24 min, YouTube)
My research —recent years:
- I have introduced and adapted the SOLA method to solve tomographic problems (Zaroli, 2016, 2019; Zaroli et al. 2017), and named this SOLA tomography :-)
- This represents a major step towards Inference-Oriented Seismic Tomography
- The SOLA method (Subtractive Optimally Localized Averages; Pijpers & Thompson, 1992) is a variant of Backus & Gilbert's inverse theory (Backus & Gilbert, 1967, '68, '70).
- Problems must be linear(-izable), but can be of large scale —and the model space can be treated using either a discrete (Zaroli 2016) or a continuous (Zaroli 2019) formalism.
Some advantages of SOLA tomography:
- Inference-oriented SOLA tomography investigates properties of the Earth's interior
- SOLA tomographic models (proxies) are accompanied with their resolution and uncertainty.
- SOLA provides a direct control on model resolution/uncertainty.
- NO a priori constraints on model parameters (but on model resolution).
- SOLA models are free from averaging-bias effects, and can fit the data.
- Data-kernels can be fully exploited (if no model space discretization).
- Natural framework for tomographic-geodynamic comparisons.
- Development of dVp and dVs models at comparable resolution (to infer R=dVs/dVp).
- Development of dVsh and dVsv models at comparable resolution (to infer anisotropy).
- And more... read our publications !
Peer-reviewed publications related to SOLA tomography (see 'Publications'):
- 2016, Zaroli, GJI (download)
- 2017, Zaroli, Koelemeijer, Lambotte, GRL (download)
- 2018, Voronin & Zaroli, InTechOpen Book (download)
- 2019, Zaroli, GJI (download)
- 2020, Freissler (MSc student), Zaroli, Lambotte, Schuberth, GJI (download)
- 2022, Latallerie (PhD student), Zaroli, Lambotte, Maggi, GJI (download)
- 2023, Amiri (PhD student), Maggi, Tatar, Zigone & Zaroli, Seismica (download)
- 2024, Restelli (PhD student), Zaroli, Koelemeijer, PEPI (download)
- 2024, Freissler (PhD student), Schuberth, Zaroli, GJI (download)
- 2025, Mag (PhD student), Zaroli, Koelemeijer, GJI (download)
- 2025, Nouibat (postdoc), Zaroli, Lambotte, GRL (download)
- 2025, Lima & Zaroli, GJI (download)
- 2025, Latallerie (postdoc), Zaroli, Lambotte, Maggi, Walker, Koelemeijer, Seismica (download)
- 2025, Amiri (PhD student), Tatar, Maggi, & Zaroli, in revision for Tectonophysics
- 2025, Serra (PhD student), Zaroli, Lambotte, Koelemeijer, in revision for GJI (EarthArXiv)
- 2025, Freissler (PhD student), Schuberth, Stotz & Zaroli, submitted to Proceedings A.
- 2025, Zaroli, submitted to JGR
Ph.D. thesis related to SOLA tomography (M.Sc. thesis & postdocs on SOLA tomo not listed here):
- Ouattara, Y., 2019, University of Strasbourg/Abidjan
- Dubois, F., 2020, University of Strasbourg
- Latallerie, F., 2022, University of Strasbourg
- Restelli, F., 2023, University of Royal Holloway/Oxford
- Amiri, S., work in progress, University of Strasbourg/Iran
- Freissler, R., work in progress, University of Munich (LMU)
- Serra, F., work in progress, University of Strasbourg
- Mag, A., work in progress, University of Oxford
- Schneider, A., work in progress, University of Munich (LMU)
Example of SOLA tomography:
- Global tomographic model SOLA-Z16 — available on SubMachine (web-based tools for exploring models).
- This image (HAL), of SOLA-Z16, shows 3-D positive S-wave velocity anomalies (%) in mid lower-mantle: