Abstract
Receiver functions, an important tool in understanding sub-surface
interfaces, can be analysed through carefully implemented neural
networks. We demonstrate this approach. Previously, we introduced our
receiver function tool set, Pythonic Global Lithospheric Imaging using
Earthquake Recordings (PyGLImER). PyGLImER enables us to: [1] create
a database of teleseismic event displacement records at worldwide
seismic stations, [2] compute receiver functions from these records,
and [3] compute volumetric common conversion point (CCP) stacks from
the receiver functions and their conversion points. CCP stacking is a
standard tool to image the subsurface using receiver functions. The CCP
stacks represent rich but large, three-dimensional volumes of data that
contain information about discontinuities in Earth’s crust and upper
mantle. One goal of the interpretation of CCPs is the identification of
such discontinuities. Automated picking routines reduce discontinuities
to singular peaks and troughs, thus discarding the wealth of information
available over the whole depth range, such as integrated discontinuity
impedance and regional geometry. However, the obvious alternative,
manual picking, is not feasible for large data volumes. Here, we explore
the possibility of fully-automated segmentation of 3D CCP volumes
through the application of image processing routines and machine
learning to successive volume cross-sections. With our picking tool, we
manually label discontinuities in CCP slices to serve as training and
validation sets.We use these labeled datasets as input to train a
convolutional neural network (CNN) to perform pixel-wise identifications
in subsurface images. When applied to all slices of the CCP stack, the
CNN outputs a fully-segmented 3D model, which furnishes quantitative
exploration of subsurface discontinuity morphology. Specifically, we can
investigate the thickness/width, intensity, and topography of
discontinuities across continents. This information has the potential to
improve our understanding of, e.g., mantle transition zone phase
transitions and, therefore, mantle dynamics.