Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences

Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences

Physics-Informed Neural Networks for GPS Velocity Field Interpolation in the Alborz Tectonic Region

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors
1 Surveying Engineering Department, Civil Engineering Faculty, Tabriz University, Tabriz, IRAN
2 Graduated Master of Science in Geodesy, Department of Surveying Engineering, Ahar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahar, Iran
3 MSc Student in Geodesy, Department of Surveying Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
10.22071/gsj.2026.553765.2232
Abstract
The interpolation of GPS velocity vectors into continuous fields represents a significant challenge in geodesy and geophysics. Conventional methods, such as the elastic Green's function proposed by Sandwell and Wessel (2016), face limitations in modeling complex phenomena and accounting for data uncertainties. This paper investigates the application of Physics-Informed Neural Networks as a powerful alternative to these classical methods. In this study, a PINN model was implemented that directly incorporates the governing equations of elasticity into the Neural Network's loss function. The model was trained on GPS data from 89 stations across the Alborz Tectonic Region in the oblique collision zone of the Arabia-Eurasia tectonic plates. Results demonstrate that the proposed model can successfully reconstruct the velocity field with acceptable accuracy, achieving RMSE values of approximately 0.68 mm/yr and 0.99 mm/yr for the east and north components, respectively. The method offers several advantages, including high flexibility in modeling complex physics, the capability to integrate diverse data types, and automatic consideration of observational uncertainties. Although the computational time of this approach is longer compared to classical methods, its inherent ability to overcome the limitations of traditional techniques makes it a promising candidate for the next generation of geodynamic data processing tools.
Keywords

Subjects



Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 19 April 2026