Dr. Tape develops and applies techniques in computational and observational seismology to obtain better images of Earth's internal structure and to obtain better representations of earthquakes.  Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the seismic wavefield form the foundation of computational seismology.  These simulations produce synthetic seismograms and also volumetric sensitivities that are used within the imaging problem.
Dr. Tape develops adjoint-based imaging techniques, with emphasis on estimating model parameters and associated uncertainties, as well as improving resolution of the images. Applications in California, Alaska, and beyond will help to produce accurate structural models of the crust and upper mantle.  These models will provide an important snapshot of a dynamic Earth, and they will be used for scenario earthquake simulations that help assess seismic hazard in earthquake-prone regions.