Theoretical and Computational Seismology
Many academic books tend to be either highly specialised and advanced or elementary and focused on fundamentals, rarely achieving a balance between the two. This book successfully does so for theoretical and computational seismology. Using differential geometry and tensor calculus, it explains the fundamental concepts of seismology before progressing to the computational and modelling aspects of the subject.
The book is divided into four parts, covering continuum mechanics, seismology, forward problems, and inverse problems, with appendices containing 150 problems and online solutions. These exercises are one of the book’s greatest strengths, providing readers with the opportunity to develop a practical understanding of the theoretical and computational concepts presented throughout. The chapters progress logically from the fundamentals of kinematics and dynamics to advanced topics, such as numerical methods, inversion, and optimisation, while the appendices offer useful reference material on mathematical concepts including tensors, manifolds, and linear spaces. Separate glossaries for each part, together with clear graphs, formulae, and detailed mathematical explanations, make the material easier to navigate, while the self-contained structure allows readers to focus on the sections most relevant to their interests.
Compared with traditional theoretical seismology books, this title provides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of modern theoretical and computational seismology. It builds upon advancements in seismology after Dahlen and Tromp (1998) and acts as a bridge between rigorous theory, modern numerical simulation, wavefield inversion, computational physics, and adjoint-based imaging.
The idea of presenting relevant quotes at the beginning of each chapter keeps the reader engaged and thoughtful too. To name a few: “Nature is written in mathematical language” by Galileo Galilei; “Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful” by George E. P. Box; and “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it” by Neil deGrasse Tyson.
In a broader sense, this book connects seismology with applied mathematics, inverse theory, scientific computing, and computational physics, which are essential for modern theoretical and computational seismological studies. Considering the depth and capabilities of the content presented in the book, I recommend it to both students and experienced scholars as a must-have reference for those planning to perform research in these fields.
Reviewed by R. Arun Prasath
DETAILS
BY: Jeroen Tromp (2025) Princeton University Press, 600 pp.
ISBN: 9780691267968
PRICE: £75, available from Geoscientist’s bookshop
