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Thursday, August 21, 2025
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We are pleased to announce the release of UCVM v25.7, now available at:
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The SCEC UCVM (Unified Community Velocity Model) is a software framework for accessing, comparing, and using community seismic velocity models in ground motion modeling and wave propagation simulations. The UCVM v25.7 release adds support for new and updated velocity models, making it easier for researchers to explore and apply region-specific models in seismic hazard and engineering studies.
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New & Expanded Scientific Capabilities
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This release includes new CVMs for California and the Western U.S., many of which have not previously been distributed through UCVM. These models reflect recent scientific work by research groups at the University of Wisconsin, USGS, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SCEC, and other research organizations.
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Newly Added Velocity Models Now Available in UCVM v25.7
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- CANVAS – The California-Nevada Adjoint Simulations (CANVAS) model, an adjoint waveform tomography model of the crust and uppermost mantle of the states of California and Nevada
- UW Statewide – A statewide California velocity model developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin
- UW SF Bay Area – A San Fransico Bay Regional model developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin
- USGS SF Bay Area – The USGS San Francisco Bay Region model v21.1 which is an updated version of the earlier USGS CenCal 0.8.1 Northern California model
- CS248 – A Northern California CVM based on the USGS SFB Regional Model v21.1 developed for a northern California CyberShake Study 24.8
- SJFZ – A model developed using seismic array data for the San Jacinto Fault Zone area.
In addition, this release includes updated support for widely used models such as:
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- Southern California models CVM-S4, CVM-S4.26, CVM-S4.26.M01 and CVM-H (and its stand-alone basins), Central California CCA-06, offshore ALBACORE Southern California model, Salton Sea Imaging Project (SSIP) models for Coachella and Imperial Valleys, a Utah Wasatch Front CVM, and two regional 1D California velocity models.
These models can now be queried and compared using a common interface, making cross-model evaluation and multi-model simulations more accessible.
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Improvements to the UCVM Platform
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To support this expanded set of models and enable more scalable workflows, v25.7 includes:
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- Plugin Architecture – CVMs are now dynamically loaded, allowing modular updates and lightweight deployments
- JSON-based Configuration – New setup scripts simplify installation and reproducibility
- External Data Mounting – Users can mount large model datasets externally to speed installation and reduce system memory usage
- Modern Software Stack – Includes updated support for geospatial libraries (e.g., Proj8)
Integration and Container Support
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- Verified container builds using Docker and Singularity with Apptainer.
- Integrated with the SCEC CVM explorer for web-based model visualization
- Continuous integration testing enabled via GitHub Actions
Supporting Tools and Utilities
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UCVM associated tools are also available to support use of UCVM v25.7:
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- UCVM Plotting Utilities – 2D model visualization tools
- UCVM Metadata Utilities – Model inventory and inspection utilities
Why This Release Matters?
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UCVM v25.7 delivers important new scientific resources for the geoscience and engineering communities:
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- Broader access to regional and statewide velocity models that reflect the latest subsurface imaging efforts
- Better support for comparative and ensemble modeling across different CVMs
- More robust component-based software architecture makes the open-source software more extensible and sustainable
- Streamlined tools to bring these models into simulation, hazard, and inversion workflows
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Updated open-source software and documentation is available on SCEC GitHub repo at:
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For questions, bug reports, or integration help, contact the SCEC software team:
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Thank you for interest in SCEC’s UCVM and for your work advancing our shared understanding of the Earth’s structure and seismic behavior.
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Associate Director, Research Computing
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SCEC Computer Scientist, UCVM
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