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Tariq Alkhalifah

Publications and source records attributed to Tariq Alkhalifah.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2025

High-resolution velocity model estimation with neural operator and the time-shift imaging condition

Extracting subsurface velocity information from seismic data is mainly an undetermined problem that requires injecting a priori information to constrain the inversion process. Machine learning has offered a platform to do so through the training process, as we formulate our training dataset to inject as much prior knowledge as possible in the trained ML model. Here, we use a neural-operator-based framework for high-resolution seismic velocity model building, which integrates Neural Operators with time-lag reverse time migration imaging. Unlike conventional full waveform inversion (FWI) methods that rely on iterative forward and adjoint-state computations, our approach learns a direct mapping from initial velocity models and extended seismic images to high-resolution velocity estimates through supervised learning. The network architecture enables mesh-independent generalization by learning mappings in infinite-dimensional function spaces, while synthetic velocity models and time-lag reverse time migration (RTM) images provide complementary high-frequency information critical for recovering mid- and high-wavenumber velocity components. Synthetic experiments demonstrate that the proposed method accurately reconstructs fine-scale structures and complex geologies, including out-of-distribution features such as salt bodies. Applications to real seismic field data acquired offshore Australia further validate the method's robustness and resolution capability. The predicted models show enhanced structural details and improved consistency with well-log data, outperforming traditional multi-scale FWI in both accuracy and computational efficiency. The entire prediction process is completed within seconds, making the proposed approach highly suitable for rapid and scalable velocity model building in practical exploration scenarios.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Velocity model building from seismic images using a Convolutional Neural Operator

The success of building a high-resolution velocity model using machine learning is hampered by generalization limitations that often limit the success of the approach on field data. This is especially true when relying on neural operators for the mapping. Thus, we propose a novel inversion framework that relies on learning to map the velocity model to a seismic image using a Convolutional Neural Operator (CNO), and then we use optimization to invert for the velocity that matches the image. The key to the success of our network is that we use the initial and true velocity models as input in the training, then we invert for the true velocity starting from the initial velocity at inference. Specifically, we first train a neural operator to accurately learn the forward mapping from seismic velocity models to RTM images, using synthetic datasets that include high-frequency structural information. Once trained, the neural operator is embedded into an inversion loop, where its differentiable nature enables efficient gradient computation via automatic differentiation. This allows us to progressively inject high-wavenumber information from RTM images into the background velocity model, thereby improving resolution without the need for traditional adjoint-state solvers. The proposed framework is validated on both synthetic and field data. Results demonstrate that the neural operator generalizes well to real seismic scenarios, maintains high inversion accuracy, and significantly reduces computational cost. This work highlights the potential of neural operators as flexible and scalable tools for efficient, data-driven seismic imaging and inversion.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

A Deep-Learning-Driven Optimization-Based Inverse Solver for Accelerating the Marchenko Method

The Marchenko method is a powerful tool for reconstructing full-wavefield Green's functions using surface-recorded seismic data. These Green's functions can then be utilized to produce subsurface images that are not affected by artifacts caused by internal multiples. Despite its advantages, the method is computationally demanding, primarily due to the iterative nature of estimating the focusing functions, which links the Green's functions to the surface reflection response. To address this limitation, an optimization-based solver is proposed to estimate focusing functions in an efficient way. This is achieved by training a network to approximate the forward modeling problem on a small subset of pre-computed focusing function pairs, mapping final up-going focusing functions obtained via the conventional iterative scheme to their initial estimates. Once trained, the network is fixed and used as the forward operator within the Marchenko framework. For a given target location, an input is initialized and iteratively updated through backpropagation to minimize the mismatch between the output of the fixed network and the known initial up-going focusing function. The resulting estimate is then used to compute the corresponding down-going focusing function and the full Green's functions based on the Marchenko equations. This strategy significantly reduces the computational cost compared to the traditional Marchenko method based on conventional iterative scheme. Tests on a synthetic model, using only 0.8% of the total imaging points for training, show that the proposed approach accelerates the imaging process while maintaining relatively good imaging results, which is better than reverse time migration. Application to the Volve field data further demonstrates the method's robustness and practicality, highlighting its potential for efficient, large scale seismic imaging.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Inspired by machine learning optimization: can gradient-based optimizers solve cycle skipping in full waveform inversion given sufficient iterations?

Full waveform inversion (FWI) iteratively updates the velocity model by minimizing the difference between observed and simulated data. Due to the high computational cost and memory requirements associated with global optimization algorithms, FWI is typically implemented using local optimization methods. However, when the initial velocity model is inaccurate and low-frequency seismic data (e.g., below 3 Hz) are absent, the mismatch between simulated and observed data may exceed half a cycle, a phenomenon known as cycle skipping. In such cases, local optimization algorithms (e.g., gradient-based local optimizers) tend to converge to local minima, leading to inaccurate inversion results. In machine learning, neural network training is also an optimization problem prone to local minima. It often employs gradient-based optimizers with a relatively large learning rate (beyond the theoretical limits of local optimization that are usually determined numerically by a line search), which allows the optimization to behave like a quasi-global optimizer. Consequently, after training for several thousand iterations, we can obtain a neural network model with strong generative capability. In this study, we also employ gradient-based optimizers with a relatively large learning rate for FWI. Results from both synthetic and field data experiments show that FWI may initially converge to a local minimum; however, with sufficient additional iterations, the inversion can gradually approach the global minimum, slowly from shallow subsurface to deep, ultimately yielding an accurate velocity model. Furthermore, numerical examples indicate that, given sufficient iterations, reasonable velocity inversion results can still be achieved even when low-frequency data below 5 Hz are missing.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Efficient Upside-Down Rayleigh-Marchenko Imaging through Self-Supervised Focusing Function Estimation

The Upside-Down Rayleigh-Marchenko (UD-RM) method has recently emerged as a powerful tool for retrieving subsurface wavefields and images free from artifacts caused by both internal and surface-related multiples. Its ability to handle acquisition setups with large cable spacing or sparse node geometries makes it particularly suitable for ocean-bottom seismic data processing. However, the widespread application of the method is limited by the high computational cost required to estimate the focusing functions, especially when dealing with large imaging domains. To address this limitation, a self-supervised learning approach is proposed to accelerate the estimation of the focusing functions. Specifically, a U-Net network is trained on a small subset of image points from within the target area of interest, whose focusing functions are pre-computed using the conventional iterative scheme. The network is tasked to predict both the up- and down-going focusing functions from an initial estimate of the subsurface wavefields. Once trained, the network generalizes to remaining unseen imaging locations, enabling direct prediction of the focusing functions. Validation on a synthetic dataset with both dense and sparse receiver sampling using progressively fewer training points demonstrates the method's effectiveness. In both cases, the resulting images closely match those obtained from the UD-RM method with focusing functions retrieved by the conventional iterative approach at a much lower cost and significantly outperform mirror migration (when the same input dataset is used). Finally, an application to the Volve field data confirms the method's robustness in practical scenarios. The proposed approach enables seismic imaging at a fraction of the computational cost of the conventional UD-RM approach while maintaining imaging quality, underscoring its potential for large-scale seismic applications.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

An effective physics-informed neural operator framework for predicting wavefields

Solving the wave equation is fundamental for geophysical applications. However, numerical solutions of the Helmholtz equation face significant computational and memory challenges. Therefore, we introduce a physics-informed convolutional neural operator (PICNO) to solve the Helmholtz equation efficiently. The PICNO takes both the background wavefield corresponding to a homogeneous medium and the velocity model as input function space, generating the scattered wavefield as the output function space. Our workflow integrates PDE constraints directly into the training process, enabling the neural operator to not only fit the available data but also capture the underlying physics governing wave phenomena. PICNO allows for high-resolution reasonably accurate predictions even with limited training samples, and it demonstrates significant improvements over a purely data-driven convolutional neural operator (CNO), particularly in predicting high-frequency wavefields. These features and improvements are important for waveform inversion down the road.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Geological and Well prior assisted full waveform inversion using conditional diffusion models

Full waveform inversion (FWI) often faces challenges due to inadequate seismic observations, resulting in band-limited and geologically inaccurate inversion results. Incorporating prior information from potential velocity distributions, well-log information, and our geological knowledge and expectations can significantly improve FWI convergence to a realistic model. While diffusion-regularized FWI has shown improved performance compared to conventional FWI by incorporating the velocity distribution prior, it can benefit even more by incorporating well-log information and other geological knowledge priors. To leverage this fact, we propose a geological class and well-information prior-assisted FWI using conditional diffusion models. This method seamlessly integrates multi-modal information into FWI, simultaneously achieving data fitting and universal geologic and geophysics prior matching, which is often not achieved with traditional regularization methods. Specifically, we propose to combine conditional diffusion models with FWI, where we integrate well-log data and geological class conditions into these conditional diffusion models using classifier-free guidance for multi-modal prior matching beyond the original velocity distribution prior. Numerical experiments on the OpenFWI datasets and field marine data demonstrate the effectiveness of our method compared to conventional FWI and the unconditional diffusion-regularized FWI.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Physics-informed conditional diffusion model for generalizable elastic wave-mode separation

Traditional elastic wavefield separation methods, while accurate, often demand substantial computational resources, especially for large geological models or 3D scenarios. Purely data-driven neural network approaches can be more efficient, but may fail to generalize and maintain physical consistency due to the absence of explicit physical constraints. Here, we propose a physics-informed conditional diffusion model for elastic wavefield separation that seamlessly integrates domain-specific physics equations into both the training and inference stages of the reverse diffusion process. Conditioned on full elastic wavefields and subsurface P- and S-wave velocity profiles, our method directly predicts clean P-wave modes while enforcing Laplacian separation constraints through physics-guided loss and sampling corrections. Numerical experiments on diverse scenarios yield the separation results that closely match conventional numerical solutions but at a reduced cost, confirming the effectiveness and generalizability of our approach.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

DiffPINN: Generative diffusion-initialized physics-informed neural networks for accelerating seismic wavefield representation

Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) offer a powerful framework for seismic wavefield modeling, yet they typically require time-consuming retraining when applied to different velocity models. Moreover, their training can suffer from slow convergence due to the complexity of of the wavefield solution. To address these challenges, we introduce a latent diffusion-based strategy for rapid and effective PINN initialization. First, we train multiple PINNs to represent frequency-domain scattered wavefields for various velocity models, then flatten each trained network's parameters into a one-dimensional vector, creating a comprehensive parameter dataset. Next, we employ an autoencoder to learn latent representations of these parameter vectors, capturing essential patterns across diverse PINN's parameters. We then train a conditional diffusion model to store the distribution of these latent vectors, with the corresponding velocity models serving as conditions. Once trained, this diffusion model can generate latent vectors corresponding to new velocity models, which are subsequently decoded by the autoencoder into complete PINN parameters. Experimental results indicate that our method significantly accelerates training and maintains high accuracy across in-distribution and out-of-distribution velocity scenarios.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

SiameseLSRTM: Enhancing least-squares reverse time migration with a Siamese network

Least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) is an inversion-based imaging method rooted in optimization theory, which iteratively updates the reflectivity model to minimize the difference between observed and simulated data. However, in real data applications, the Born-based simulated data, based on simplified physics, like the acoustic assumption, often under represent the complexity within observed data. Thus, we develop SiameseLSRTM, a novel approach that employs a Siamese network consisting of two identical convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with shared weights to measure the difference between simulated and observed data. Specifically, the shared-weight CNNs in the Siamese network enable the extraction of comparable features from both observed and simulated data, facilitating more effective data matching and ultimately improving imaging accuracy. SiameseLSRTM is a self-supervised framework in which the network parameters are updated during the iterative LSRTM process, without requiring extensive labeled data and prolonged training. We evaluate SiameseLSRTM using two synthetic datasets and one field dataset from a land seismic survey, showing that it produces higher-resolution and more accurate imaging results compared to traditional LSRTM.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

DiffusionInv: Prior-enhanced Bayesian Full Waveform Inversion using Diffusion models

Full waveform inversion (FWI) is an advanced seismic inversion technique for quantitatively estimating subsurface properties. However, with FWI, it is hard to converge to a geologically-realistic subsurface model. Thus, we propose a DiffusionInv approach by integrating a pretrained diffusion model representation of the velocity into FWI within a Bayesian framework. We first train the diffusion model on realistic and expected velocity model samples, preferably prepared based on our geological knowledge of the subsurface, to learn their prior distribution. Once this pretraining is complete, we fine-tune the neural network parameters of the diffusion model by using an L2 norm of data misfit between simulated and observed seismic data as a loss function. This process enables the model to elegantly learn the posterior distribution of velocity models given seismic observations starting from the previously learned prior distribution. The approximate representation of the posterior probability distribution provides valuable insights into the inversion uncertainty for physics-constrained FWI given the seismic data and prior model information. Compared to regularized FWI methods, the diffusion model under a probabilistic framework allows for a more adaptable integration of prior information into FWI, thus mitigating the multi-solution issue and enhancing the reliability of the inversion result. Compared to data-driven FWI methods, the integration of physical constraints in DiffusionInv enhances its ability to generalize across diverse seismic scenarios. The test results in the Hess and Otway examples demonstrate that the DiffusionInv method is capable of recovering the velocity model with high resolution by incorporating the prior model information. The estimated posterior probability distribution helps us understand the inversion uncertainty.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Self-supervised surface-related multiple suppression with multidimensional convolution

Surface-related multiples pose significant challenges in seismic data processing, often obscuring primary reflections and reducing imaging quality. Traditional methods rely on computationally expensive algorithms, the prior knowledge of subsurface model, or accurate wavelet estimation, while supervised learning approaches require clean labels, which are impractical for real data. Thus, we propose a self-supervised learning framework for surface-related multiple suppression, leveraging multi-dimensional convolution to generate multiples from the observed data and a two-stage training strategy comprising a warm-up and an iterative data refinement stage, so the network learns to remove the multiples. The framework eliminates the need for labeled data by iteratively refining predictions using multiples augmented inputs and pseudo-labels. Numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed method effectively suppresses surface-related multiples while preserving primary reflections. Migration results confirm its ability to reduce artifacts and improve imaging quality.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Least-Squares-Embedded Optimization for Accelerated Convergence of PINNs in Acoustic Wavefield Simulations

Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) have shown promise in solving partial differential equations (PDEs), including the frequency-domain Helmholtz equation. However, standard training of PINNs using gradient descent (GD) suffers from slow convergence and instability, particularly for high-frequency wavefields. For scattered acoustic wavefield simulation based on Helmholtz equation, we derive a hybrid optimization framework that accelerates training convergence by embedding a least-squares (LS) solver directly into the GD loss function. This formulation enables optimal updates for the linear output layer. Our method is applicable with or without perfectly matched layers (PML), and we provide practical tensor-based implementations for both scenarios. Numerical experiments on benchmark velocity models demonstrate that our approach achieves faster convergence, higher accuracy, and improved stability compared to conventional PINN training. In particular, our results show that the LS-enhanced method converges rapidly even in cases where standard GD-based training fails. The LS solver operates on a small normal matrix, ensuring minimal computational overhead and making the method scalable for large-scale wavefield simulations.

cs.LG↗
arXiv2025

Full waveform inversion with CNN-based velocity representation extension

Full waveform inversion (FWI) updates the velocity model by minimizing the discrepancy between observed and simulated data. However, discretization errors in numerical modeling and incomplete seismic data acquisition can introduce noise, which propagates through the adjoint operator and affects the accuracy of the velocity gradient, thereby impacting the FWI inversion accuracy. To mitigate the influence of noise on the gradient, we employ a convolutional neural network (CNN) to refine the velocity model before performing the forward simulation, aiming to reduce noise and provide a more accurate velocity update direction. We use the same data misfit loss to update both the velocity and network parameters, thereby forming a self-supervised learning procedure. We propose two implementation schemes, which differ in whether the velocity update passes through the CNN. In both methodologies, the velocity representation is extended (VRE) by using a neural network in addition to the grid-based velocities. Thus, we refer to this general approach as VRE-FWI. Synthetic and real data tests demonstrate that the proposed VRE-FWI achieves higher velocity inversion accuracy compared to traditional FWI, at a marginal additional computational cost of approximately 1%.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

SeparationPINN: Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Seismic P- and S-Wave Mode Separation

Accurate separation of P- and S-waves is essential for multi-component seismic data processing, as it helps eliminate interference between wave modes during imaging or inversion, which leads to high-accuracy results. Traditional methods for separating P- and S-waves rely on the Christoffel equation to compute the polarization direction of the waves in the wavenumber domain, which is computationally expensive. Although machine learning has been employed to improve the computational efficiency of the separation process, most methods still require supervised learning with labeled data, which is often unavailable for field data. To address this limitation, we propose a wavefield separation technique based on the physics-informed neural network (PINN). This unsupervised machine learning approach is applicable to unlabeled data. Furthermore, the trained PINN model provides a mesh-free numerical solution that effectively captures wavefield features at multiple scales. Numerical tests demonstrate that the proposed PINN-based separation method can accurately separate P- and S-waves in both homogeneous and heterogeneous media.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Learned frequency-domain scattered wavefield solutions using neural operators

Solving the wave equation is essential to seismic imaging and inversion. The numerical solution of the Helmholtz equation, fundamental to this process, often encounters significant computational and memory challenges. We propose an innovative frequency-domain scattered wavefield modeling method employing neural operators adaptable to diverse seismic velocities. The source location and frequency information are embedded within the input background wavefield, enhancing the neural operator's ability to process source configurations effectively. In addition, we utilize a single reference frequency, which enables scaling from larger-domain forward modeling to higher-frequency scenarios, thereby improving our method's accuracy and generalization capabilities for larger-domain applications. Several tests on the OpenFWI datasets and realistic velocity models validate the accuracy and efficacy of our method as a surrogate model, demonstrating its potential to address the computational and memory limitations of numerical methods.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Diffusion-based subsurface CO$_2$ multiphysics monitoring and forecasting

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) plays a crucial role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from industrial outputs. Using seismic monitoring can aid in an accurate and robust monitoring system to ensure the effectiveness of CCS and mitigate associated risks. However, conventional seismic wave equation-based approaches are computationally demanding, which hinders real-time applications. In addition to efficiency, forecasting and uncertainty analysis are not easy to handle using such numerical-simulation-based approaches. To this end, we propose a novel subsurface multiphysics monitoring and forecasting framework utilizing video diffusion models. This approach can generate high-quality representations of CO$2$ evolution and associated changes in subsurface elastic properties. With reconstruction guidance, forecasting and inversion can be achieved conditioned on historical frames and/or observational data. Meanwhile, due to the generative nature of the approach, we can quantify uncertainty in the prediction. Tests based on the Compass model show that the proposed method successfully captured the inherently complex physical phenomena associated with CO$_2$ monitoring, and it can predict and invert the subsurface elastic properties and CO$_2$ saturation with consistency in their evolution.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2025

Seismic wavefield solutions via physics-guided generative neural operator

Current neural operators often struggle to generalize to complex, out-of-distribution conditions, limiting their ability in seismic wavefield representation. To address this, we propose a generative neural operator (GNO) that leverages generative diffusion models (GDMs) to learn the underlying statistical distribution of scattered wavefields while incorporating a physics-guided sampling process at each inference step. This physics guidance enforces wave equation-based constraints corresponding to specific velocity models, driving the iteratively generated wavefields toward physically consistent solutions. By training the diffusion model on wavefields corresponding to a diverse dataset of velocity models, frequencies, and source positions, our GNO enables to rapidly synthesize high-fidelity wavefields at inference time. Numerical experiments demonstrate that our GNO not only produces accurate wavefields matching numerical reference solutions, but also generalizes effectively to previously unseen velocity models and frequencies.

physics.geo-ph↗