Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Geophysics and Seismology
How much of a machine-learning earthquake catalogue can an expert verify?
Published: 2026-09-08
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology
Machine-learning systems are becoming the instruments that generate the primary data of a scientific field, and what such a system asserts is not the same as what an expert would endorse. Earthquake detection is one of the few settings where the difference can be measured, because a detection can be checked blind against the waveforms that produced it. Four seismologists returned 4,800 blind [...]
Linear geophysical inversion with seismic image-guided kriging
Published: 2026-09-07
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology
Linear geophysical inversions, such as the mapping of surface gravity anomaly to subsurface density anomaly, are a cornerstone of geophysical practice. However, the high degree of ill-posedness of such problems makes interpretation of the resulting subsurface models challenging. I develop a methodology to combine surface potential field measurements, direct subsurface sampling through scout [...]
AxiSEM3D: efficient 3D wave propagation across scales and worlds
Published: 2026-09-06
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology
We present a new, unified release of the AxiSEM3D seismic modelling code, which is able to rapidly and efficiently compute synthetic seismograms for the Earth and many other worlds. Over the past decade, separate and incompatible versions of AxiSEM3D's main branch have been developed and individually benchmarked, including new capabilities such as the inclusion of fluid oceans and atmospheres, [...]
Magnitude-order improvements to the measurement precision of Antarctic grounding zone dynamics using SAR satellite constellations
Published: 2026-09-04
Subjects: Aerospace Engineering, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Geophysics and Seismology, Glaciology
Glacier loss in Antarctica is strongly influenced by melt in the grounding zone, the transition between grounded and floating ice. Thwaites Glacier is a critical region, with 65 cm of sea-level-equivalent ice. A recent dataset tracks grounding line retreat for Thwaites and other Antarctic ice streams over 30 years. Despite this long-term record, significant uncertainty remains in predictions of [...]
Asthenosphere rheology and the continental-scale interseismic deformation driven by repeated megathrust earthquakes: Insights from the South American plate
Published: 2026-09-04
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology
This study presents a framework for quantifying large-scale interseismic deformation of a tectonic plate overlying a viscoelastic asthenosphere. We explain and compare four common methods for modelling upper-plate surface deformation induced by time-dependent slip on the subduction interface. One method is a widely used, purely elastic model. The other three are viscoelastic models, in which slip [...]
Seismoacoustic recovery of the SpaceX CRS-32 Dragon re-entry with a proof-of-concept for automated detection
Published: 2026-09-02
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Atmospheric re-entries of human-made objects are increasing in frequency, yet detailed information on their trajectory, fragmentation, and debris footprint is rarely made publicly available. This creates an information asymmetry in which regulators, independent agencies, and the scientific community lack the means to verify that re-entries occurred as reported or to characterize their physical [...]
The Current State of Research on Deformation, Strain, and Velocity across the Alpine-Himalayan Belt Using Transcontinental Sentinel-1 InSAR and GNSS
Published: 2026-08-31
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology, Tectonics and Structure
Research on present-day deformation across the Alpine-Himalayan belt has crossed a methodological threshold. Regional Sentinel-1 studies in Anatolia, Iran, and Tibet have now been joined by the first transcontinental three-dimensional velocity and horizontal strain-rate field, derived from more than 222,000 radar images acquired during 2016-2024 and a belt-wide GNSS compilation. The result [...]
Limited sensitivity of published InSight RISE rotation products to the seismically proposed Martian inner-core family: a prospectively specified reanalysis
Published: 2026-08-29
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology, Planetary Geophysics and Seismology
The InSight Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE) measured the rotation of Mars by radio tracking; Le Maistre et al. (2023) report the detection of the Free Core Nutation (FCN, period −243 ± 3.3 d) and no detection of the Free Inner Core Nutation (FICN) that a solid inner core would add. Bi et al. (2025) subsequently reported a 613 ± 67 km solid inner core from seismology, without [...]
Dense vertical profiling of the natural magnetic field with a suspended QuSpin QTFM Gen 2 under azimuth-balanced acquisition
Published: 2026-08-22
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology
Sensor height is part of the observation geometry of a magnetic survey. We quantified how processed, azimuth-balanced total magnetic field changed with sensor height above ground level (AGL) for a suspended QuSpin QTFM Gen 2 at four agricultural-field sites in Xã Bác Ái Tây, Khánh Hòa, Vietnam. The sensor was suspended 20 m below a geophysical drone helicopter. At each nominal condition from 25.0 [...]
A heuristic approach to structural consistency of a horizon surface with tectonic faults based on Mallet's discrete model
Published: 2026-08-20
Subjects: Geology, Geomorphology, Geophysics and Seismology, Mining Engineering, Theory and Algorithms
The paper addresses the problem of automating the consistency process between reflecting horizon surfaces and the network of tectonic faults in the construction of three-dimensional digital geological models within the explicit (surface-based) approach. The problem is formalized on the basis of Mallet's discrete model (Discrete Smooth Interpolation, DSI). It is shown that the classical [...]
IPOC-Deep: a new seismicity catalog for Northern Chile with >2 million events
Published: 2026-08-12
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
We present a novel seismicity catalog for Northern Chile, which covers 17 years (2007--2023) of data and contains more than 2.2 million events. Raw waveform data from nearly 200 stations including a range of temporary deployments were processed with state-of-the-art algorithms for phase picking (EQTransformer) and association (PyOcto), after which we performed absolute event relocation in a 2.5D [...]
Multipole Modeling for Magnetic Microscopy Constrained by Euler Deconvolution
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology
Magnetic microscopy is rapidly advancing toward higher spatial resolutions and smaller sensor-to-sample distances. Under these conditions, dipolar approaches become increasingly limited because higher-order magnetic contributions can no longer be neglected when retrieving reliable full-vector information for paleomagnetic and rock magnetic applications. However, multipolar representations often [...]
On the stability of magnetic paleodirection and paleointensity at microscale
Published: 2026-08-07
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology
The geomagnetic field is a fundamental component of Earth's habitability, shielding the planet from high-energy cosmic radiation and solar-wind-driven atmospheric erosion. Understanding its long-term evolution relies on thermoremanent magnetization (TRM), the most robust recorder of past geomagnetic field direction and intensity. Traditionally, magnetic microscopy has been considered unsuitable [...]
Twin indicators of coastal vulnerability: land subsidence and mangrove extent change in Dili, Timor-Leste
Published: 2026-08-06
Subjects: Climate, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment, Environmental Monitoring, Geomorphology, Geophysics and Seismology, Natural Resources and Conservation
Mangrove forests and land subsidence are major drivers of coastal vulnerability rarely quantified together outside the well-studied deltas of Southeast Asia. This study provides the first satellite-based, twin-indicator assessment of coastal vulnerability for Dili, Timor-Leste, combining Sentinel-1 InSAR time series analysis of land subsidence with Global Mangrove Watch extent change over a [...]
Joint Inversion of Seismic and Geoelectrical Data Targeting Geological Faults
Published: 2026-08-03
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Tectonics and Structure
Near-surface geological faults play a crucial role in subsurface systems because they influence fluid flow and transport and can cause geotechnical failure. Topography can sometimes indicate the presence of fault zones, particularly in active tectonic settings where geomorphic features such as triangular facets are preserved. However, particularly for older inactive faults, characteristic surface [...]