Virtual receiver functions via conditional diffusion transformers for robust crustal imaging

TL;DR

This paper introduces a conditional diffusion model to generate high-quality virtual receiver functions from seismic data, improving crustal imaging by reducing noise effects and filling coverage gaps.

Contribution

The study presents a novel application of diffusion transformers conditioned on seismic parameters to produce virtual RFs, enhancing crustal imaging and anisotropy analysis.

Findings

Virtual RFs correlate better with true RFs than traditional methods.

Enhanced imaging of scattered S-waves in Cascadia.

Spatially coherent anisotropy parameters in Southern California.

Abstract

Receiver functions (RFs) are widely used to image crustal and upper-mantle structure, and their variation with backazimuth and epicentral distance contains key information about layering and azimuthal anisotropy. In practice, however, RFs are contaminated by nuisance effects from unknown earthquake source signatures and seismic noise, which obstruct reliable crustal imaging. Sparse RF coverage across backazimuths and epicentral distances also leads to biased anisotropy estimates. We address these challenges using conditional diffusion models, conditioned on backazimuth, epicentral distance, and station coordinates, to produce high-quality virtual radial and transverse RFs. RFs from earthquakes with similar backazimuths and epicentral distances share consistent crustal responses but differ in nuisance effects, allowing the model to suppress the latter. Our framework generates virtual RFs within gaps in backazimuth and epicentral distance coverage, enhancing the interpretation of crustal anisotropy and layering. On synthetic RFs with realistic non-Gaussian noise, virtual RFs correlate more strongly with the true RFs than traditional linear or phase-weighted stacking. Applied to the Cascadia Subduction Zone, virtual radial RFs sharply image scattered S-waves from the dipping slab, with enhanced phase clarity and backazimuthal coverage relative to previous work. In southern California, anisotropy parameters inferred from virtual RFs are spatially coherent and consistent with regional fault geometry. Our approach leverages all available RFs, regardless of quality, to increase spatial coverage and support robust, automated RF analysis.