About me

Welcome

I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, working with Professor Andrew Curtis. I develop probabilistic methods for imaging and understanding the Earth’s subsurface, with a particular interest in how uncertainty can become a source of scientific insight rather than a limitation to be ignored.

My research sits at the intersection of geophysical inverse theory, seismic imaging and computational statistics. I work on efficient Bayesian and variational inference approaches that make it possible to estimate not only a plausible subsurface model, but also the family of models that fit the data. This perspective is useful wherever decisions depend on incomplete observations: from seismic tomography and full waveform inversion to monitoring carbon storage and characterising groundwater systems.

Research interests

My current interests include:

• Bayesian geophysical imaging and inversion - scalable inference methods for seismic tomography, full waveform inversion and time-lapse monitoring;
• Uncertainty quantification - using posterior uncertainty to evaluate geological hypotheses, recognise interpretation bias and support risk-based decisions;
• Seismic wavefield modelling and migration - accurate and efficient algorithms for modelling seismic wave propagation and migration in attenuative media;
• Geophysical applications for the energy transition - especially subsurface characterisation and monitoring for CO_2 storage.

I am also developing GeoPVI, an open-source Python framework for geoscientific inversion using parametric variational inference methods.

Background

I received my PhD in Geophysics from the University of Edinburgh, where I was supervised by Professor Andrew Curtis. My doctoral work investigated practical advances in Bayesian inference for seismic imaging and interrogation problems. Before moving to Edinburgh, I completed MSc and BSc degrees at China University of Petroleum (Beijing).

Alongside research, I contribute to teaching and academic service at the University of Edinburgh. I have supported courses in geophysical imaging, inversion and near-surface geophysics, supervise student research projects, and organise the University’s Geophysics weekly seminar.

If you are interested in discussing geophysical inverse problems, uncertainty quantification or potential research collaborations, please feel free to get in touch at xuebin.zhao@ed.ac.uk.