Simultaneous inversion of seismic data

Summary. The resolving power of different data sets, consisting of surface-wave dispersion measurements and S travel times, are compared for a continental structure. The shear velocity in the low-velocity zone can be resolved in some detail with higher-mode phase-velocity data. Sufficient resolution for small density contrasts (0.03 g cm^?3) until depths of ～ 300 km can be reached if higher-mode group velocities are available as well, even at a precision as low as 0.10 km/s. At greater depths the density is not resolved, and here travel-time data are superior to higher modes in resolving the shear velocity.