Selecting the right hardware for Reverse Time Migration

Limitations

Streaming is not suited for all applications or even all portions of an application. Not all of the algorithmic tweaks that make RTM run efficiently on a CPU are feasible. Some algorithmic complexities, such as the PML boundary condition and variable grids, eat up too many FGPA resources to be viable. The number of arithmetic units is finite. Approaches such as multiple time steps per pass can oversaturate these resources. In addition, while wavefield precision and compression can significantly improve performance, their viability when using the RTM kernel for waveform inversion needs to be investigated.