Linear Inversion Research Articles

Parallel linearized ADMM with application to multichannel image restoration and reconstruction

Many large-scale regularized inverse problems in imaging such as image restoration and reconstruction can be modeled as a generic objective function involves sum of nonsmooth but proximable terms, which are usually linear-operator-coupled. For the solution of these problems, a parallel linearized alternating direction method of multipliers (PLADMM) is proposed in this paper. At each step of the proposed algorithm, the proximity operators of the nondifferential terms are called individually. This leads to a highly parallel algorithm structure, where most sub-steps can be simultaneously solved. Profiting from the linearization step, the linear inverse operation is excluded. The convergence property of the proposed method is analyzed. The image deblurring, inpainting, and pMRI reconstruction experiments show that the proposed method has vast applicable vistas. Compared with the state-of-the-art methods, such as PADMM [21], FTVD-v4 [22], PPDS [33], FUSL [8], LADM [36], and ALADMM [27], it gains competitive results both in terms of quantitative indicators, such as PSNR or SSIM, and in terms of visual impression.

Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Microwave Tomographic Imaging for Distributed Photonic Radar Network

This paper deals with the imaging problem from data collected by means of a microwave photonics-based distributed radar network. The radar network is leveraged on a centralized architecture, which is composed of one central unit (CU) and two transmitting and receiving dual-band remote radar peripherals (RPs), it is capable of collecting monostatic and multistatic phase-coherent data. The imaging is herein formulated as a linear inverse scattering problem and solved in a regularized way through the truncated singular value decomposition inversion scheme. Specifically, two different imaging schemes based on an incoherent fusion of the tomographic images or a fully coherent data processing are herein developed and compared. Experimental tests carried out in a port scenario for imaging both a stationary and a moving target are reported to validate the imaging approach.

Time-lapse difference seismic inversion based on scattering theory

Time-lapse seismic monitoring technology is an effective tool for quantitatively estimating subsurface medium variations and plays a crucial role in resource and engineering explorations. Among existing time-lapse inversion methods, the difference inversion technique offers higher accuracy but requires linear inversion operators. During linearization, the background is often approximated as a homogeneous medium, resulting in the loss of effective information. Additionally, merely using reflection wave information is not conducive to improving inversion accuracy. However, the true structure of the subsurface is often complex and inhomogeneous, which can easily generate complex wavefields, such as scattering waves, thereby hindering the resolution of differences between time-lapse models. Therefore, incorporating more comprehensive wavefield information is essential for enhancing the accuracy of time-lapse seismic inversion. To address this issue, a wave-equation-based time-lapse difference inversion method is proposed to retrieve the production-induced property perturbation. In the proposed method, the forward operator is formulated through the scattering wave equation, the operator is linearized through the Born approximation, and the WKBJ method is used to approximate Green's function with high accuracy for the inhomogeneous background. In this study, time-lapse seismic parallel inversion and difference inversion are conducted using the proposed forward operator. Both numerical experiments and application of field seismic data indicate that the proposed time-lapse difference inversion method can realize a more accurate quantitative characterization of time-lapse variations.

INSIGHTS INTO THE MOHO DEPTH VARIATIONS AND CRUSTAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE GUELMA–CONSTANTINE BASIN, NORTHEASTERN ALGERIA: A SHORT-PERIOD SEISMIC-RECEIVER-FUNCTION PERSPECTIVE

Teleseismic receiver functions (RF) were extracted from data collected at eight short-period, three-component seismic recording stations over the Guelma–Constantine Basin, northeastern Algeria, to improve the understanding of crustal structure and geodynamic processes. The H-κ stacking method was used to determine the Moho depths and average vP/vS ratios at each station. Careful linear inversion of RF was performed to determine the most appropriate average shear-wave and P-wave velocity profiles at each site. Both methods have yielded highly congruent results, with Moho depths showing robust correlations with previous seismological and geophysical studies. The previously observed pattern of the increasing Moho depth from north to south in the Tell Atlas has been confirmed. Furthermore, the identified transitional nature of the Moho in the Constantine Basin is consistent with a recent study. In addition, we identify a low-velocity zone (LVZ) at approximately 20 km depth within the southern Guelma Basin, confirming previous results in the Constantine Basin and suggesting an eastward elongation of the LVZ, at least into the southern periphery of the Guelma Basin. Examination of data from the northern tip of the Hammam Debbagh–Roknia NW–SE fault, the western boundary of the Guelma pull-apart basin, revealed a shallow Moho depth (22 km), less than the basin average depth of 25 km. The LVZ observed in the lower crust (12 km) suggests the presence of partial melts, consistent with gravimetric and chemical analyses of hydrothermal sources in the area. The extensional tectonic activity along this boundary, coupled with the low-viscosity zone and low average vP/vS ratio, is potentially associated with delamination processes. The effectiveness of our approach underscores its potential as a viable alternative or complementary method for investigating variations in the Moho depth.

Comprehensive evaluation of rockburst risk by multiparameter characteristics based on microseismic signals: A case study

AbstractNowadays, the seismological monitoring system in China is a valuable tool in the rockburst risk evaluation for deep coal mines. In the past, only parameters, like source location and energy, are widely used to estimate the risk level of rockburst. Sometimes, it is effective; however, some other important physical parameters, such as apparent stress drop, static stress drop, P‐wave velocity, and moment tensor, should also be included in order to improve the accuracy of risk assessment. In this study, these parameters are calculated using mine tremor signals recorded in the LW35001 workface of Liangbaosi Coal Mine. These calculations provide an overall identification of periodical stress distribution and rock mass energy‐releasing type under high concentrated stress. Via linear moment tensor inversion procedure, the source mechanism of mine tremors and stress state of the rock mass is determined whether it is risk or not to underground roadway. This comprehensive analysis provides a specific guidance for rockburst prevention for coal mine management, that is, knowing when and where measures must be taken to decrease the risk level or induce the occurrence of rockburst under control.

Pulsed uplift of the South Tianshan since the Late Miocene indicated by the linear inversion on river longitudinal profiles

The early Cenozoic collision and subsequent continuous convergence between the Indian and Eurasian plates reactivated the Tianshan orogen in the Central Asia and caused multistage uplift of the mountain range. The modern Tianshan, with high mountain peaks of >7000 m, forms very prominent topography that profoundly affects the regional tectonics and climate. However, the late Cenozoic uplift process and topography growth of the South Tianshan remain controversial. River longitudinal profile inversion provides a distinctive way to reveal rock uplift history since the late Cenozoic. In this study, we presented linear inversion on river longitudinal profiles of four drainage basins originating from high mountains in the South Tianshan. The inversion results from two basins in the northern flank show fast and continuous increases in the uplift rates from about 0.1–0.2 mm/a to 0.6–1.0 mm/a since 4 Ma. While in the southern flank, the uplift rates of the two basins increased gradually from about 0.1 mm/a to 0.2 mm/a before 10 Ma and from 0.2 mm/a to 0.4 mm/a around 10 Ma and 6 Ma, respectively. Our results combined with recently published chronological data in this region indicate that the South Tianshan experienced a pulsed tectonic uplift process since the Late Miocene. Moreover, the pulsed tectonic uplift should lead to an elevated South Tianshan during 6–4 Ma, coinciding well with the ∼5.3 Ma extreme aridification in the Tarim Basin, thus supporting that the rain shadow effect caused by high topography of South Tianshan is a critical reason for aridification.

Gate-set evaluation metrics for closed-loop optimal control on nitrogen-vacancy center ensembles in diamond

A recurring challenge in quantum science and technology is the precise control of their underlying dynamics that lead to the desired quantum operations, often described by a set of quantum gates. These gates can be subject to application-specific errors, leading to a dependence of their controls on the chosen circuit, the quality measure and the gate-set itself. A natural solution would be to apply quantum optimal control in an application-oriented fashion. In turn, this requires the definition of a meaningful measure of the contextual gate-set performance. Therefore, we explore and compare the applicability of quantum process tomography, linear inversion gate-set tomography, randomized linear gate-set tomography, and randomized benchmarking as measures for closed-loop quantum optimal control experiments, using a macroscopic ensemble of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond as a test-bed. Our work demonstrates the relative trade-offs between those measures and how to significantly enhance the gate-set performance, leading to an improvement across all investigated methods.

An accelerated alternating direction method of multiplier for MRI with TV regularisation

Compressed Sensing (CS) is important in the field of image processing and signal processing, and CS-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used to reconstruct image from undersampled k-space data. Total Variation (TV) regularisation is a common technique to improve the sparsity of image, and the Alternating Direction Multiplier Method (ADMM) plays a key role in the variational image processing problem. This paper aims to improve the quality of MRI and shorten the reconstruction time. We consider MRI to solve a linear inverse problem, we convert it into a constrained optimization problem based on TV regularisation, then an accelerated ADMM is established. Through a series of theoretical derivations, we verify that the algorithm satisfies the convergence rate of O1/k2 under the condition that one objective function is quadratically convex and the other is strongly convex. We select five undersampled templates for testing in MRI experiment and compare it with other algorithms, experimental results show that our proposed method not only improves the running speed but also gives better reconstruction results.

Heat and mass transfer visualisation of an exothermic acid-base microfluidic reactor using infrared thermospectroscopy

ABSTRACT Here, a microfluidic reactor that is transparent in the mid-wave infrared spectrum with an effective path length of 38 µm is developed for characterisation via operando Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) thermospectroscopy. This imaging technique couples an infrared (IR) camera with an FTIR spectrometer to quantify heat and mass transfer in the exothermic acid-base reaction between hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The absorbance fields of the reaction are used to simultaneously derive the molar concentration fields of the reactants (HCl and NaOH) and products (sodium chloride [NaCl]) at the microscale through a linear inverse method. The heat generated at the reaction interface is visualised through a thermal field captured from the measured proper emission. Concentration and thermal fields are then compared to an advection-diffusion model for validation. The results proposed in this work present a refined contactless calorimetry process for characterising the heat and mass transport in an acid-base reaction. Further refinement of this work will enable accurate and non-invasive measurements for the enthalpy of reaction in chemical reactions.

PNN Enhanced Seismic Inversion for Porosity Modeling and Delineating the Potential Heterogeneous Gas Sands via Comparative Inversion Analysis in the Lower Indus Basin

Seismic inversion has been in use for the last two decades to measure inverted impedances using an integrated data set approach. This research focuses on the application of multi-attribute seismic inversion and the geostatistical probabilistic neural network (PNN) approach for determining rock properties and litho-fluid classification in the Mehar-Mazarani Field of the Lower Indus Basin (LIB), Pakistan. The study compares five different inversion techniques, including model-based inversion (MBI), colored inversion (CI), linear sparse spike inversion (LSSI), band-limited inversion (BLI), and maximum likelihood sparse spike inversion (MLSSI). The inverted outputs, such as acoustic P-impedance (Zp), density (ρ), porosity (φ), and shale volume (Vsh), were analyzed in Paleocene and Cretaceous geological complex reservoirs to identify gas-bearing zones. The results indicated the existence of gas between 1630 and 1700 ms (ms) and corresponding depth ranges from approximately 3200 m up to 4200 m with varying thickness. Amongst the inversion techniques, MBI demonstrated greater accuracy, with inverted density volumes showing a strong correlation coefficient of 0.98 and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) and relative error of 0.10 m/s * g/cc. A geostatistical PNN approach was employed to estimate variations in Vsh and φ within the sand reservoir. MBI again yielded more reliable results, with a strong correlation between the measured and inverted attributes. High φ and low Vsh were observed in predetermined low-impedance zones. Overall, MBI is proven to be the most accurate and reliable technique, providing clear identification of the gas occurrence. This research highlights the effectiveness of seismic inversion, particularly the application of MBI, in determining rock properties and identifying gas-bearing zones within the Mehar-Mazarani gas field.

Image-domain least-squares imaging in an elastic vertically transversely isotropic medium: Multiparameter point-spread function deconvolution

By solving a linear inverse problem, least-squares migration (LSM) can provide higher-precision images of complex subsurface structures than traditional adjoint-operator-based migration. LSM can be conducted in the data domain and the image domain (IDLSM). IDLSM in acoustic media has been extensively studied, commonly using single-parameter point-spread function (PSF) deconvolution. For high-accuracy imaging of complex media, we develop an image-domain elastic least-squares imaging method using multiparameter PSF deconvolution for vertically transversely isotropic (VTI) media. The multiparameter PSFs, including P-P, P-S, S-P, and S-S components, are calculated on a sparse grid using elastic VTI wave equation Born modeling and migration. The traditional migration result is then decomposed into individual local results, each corresponding to the size of a single PSF, through unit partitioning. Finally, a set of filters is derived from four elastic VTI PSF components to approximate the Hessian inverse, which are subsequently assembled to reconstruct an entire deconvolved image. The numerical experiments confirm that our method can significantly decrease multiparameter crosstalk artifacts and improve spatial resolution and amplitude fidelity.

Multiview Multistatic vs. Multimonostatic Three-Dimensional Ground-Penetrating Radar Imaging: A Comparison

The availability of multichannel ground-penetrating radar systems capable of gathering multiview, multistatic, multifrequency data provides novel chances to improve subsurface imaging results. However, customized data processing techniques and smart choices of the measurement setup are needed to find a trade-off between image quality and acquisition time. In this paper, we adopt a Born Approximation-based full 3D approach, which can manage multiview-multistatic, multifrequency data and faces the imaging as a linear inverse scattering problem. The inverse problem is solved by exploiting the truncated singular value decomposition as a regularization scheme. The paper presents a theoretical study aimed at assessing how the reconstruction capabilities of the imaging approach depend on the adopted measurement configuration. In detail, the performance achievable in the standard case of multimonostatic, multifrequency data is compared with that provided by a multiview-multistatic, multifrequency configuration, where the data are gathered by considering a progressively increasing number of transmitting antennas. The comparison of the achievable imaging performance is carried out by exploiting the spectral content and the point spread function, which are general tools to foresee the achievable reconstruction capabilities. Reconstruction results related to a numerical experiment based on full-wave data are also provided.

Inversion for Inferring Solar Meridional Circulation: The Case with Constraints on Angular Momentum Transport inside the Sun

We have carried out inversions of travel times as measured by Gizon et al. to infer the internal profile of the solar meridional circulation (MC). A linear inverse problem has been solved by the regularized least-squares method with a constraint that the angular momentum (AM) transport by MC should be equatorward (HK21-type constraint). Our motivation for using this constraint is based on the result by Hotta & Kusano (hereafter HK21), where the solar equator-fast rotation was reproduced successfully without any manipulation. The inversion result indicates that the MC profile is a double-cell structure if the so-called HK21 regime, in which AM transported by MC sustains the equator-fast rotation, correctly describes the physics inside the solar convective zone. The sum of the squared residuals computed with the inferred double-cell MC profile is comparable to that computed with the single-cell MC profile obtained when we exclude the HK21-type constraint, showing that both profiles can explain the data more or less at the same level. However, we also find that adding the HK21-type constraint degrades the resolution of the averaging kernels. Although it is difficult for us to determine the large-scale morphology of the solar MC at the moment, our attempt highlights the relevance of investigating the solar MC profile from both theoretical and observational perspectives.

When linear inversion fails: Neural-network optimization for sparse-ray travel-time tomography of a volcanic edifice

In this study, we present an artificial neural network (ANN)-based approach for travel-time tomography of a volcanic edifice under sparse-ray coverage. We employ ray tracing to simulate the propagation of seismic waves through the heterogeneous medium of a volcanic edifice, and an inverse modeling algorithm that uses an ANN to estimate the velocity structure from the “observed” travel-time data. The performance of the approach is evaluated through a 2-dimensional numerical study that simulates i) an active source seismic experiment with a few (explosive) sources placed on one side of the edifice and a dense line of receivers placed on the other side, and ii) earthquakes located inside the edifice with receivers placed on both sides of the edifice. The results are compared with those obtained from conventional damped linear inversion. The average Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) between the input and output models is approximately 0.03 km/s for the ANN inversions, whereas it is about 0.4 km/s for the linear inversions, demonstrating that the ANN-based approach outperforms the classical approach, particularly in situations with sparse ray coverage. Our study emphasizes the advantages of employing a relatively simple ANN architecture in conjunction with second-order optimizers to minimize the loss function. Compared to using first-order optimizers, our ANN architecture shows a ∼25% reduction in RMSE. The ANN-based approach is computationally efficient. We observed that even though the ANN is trained based on completely random velocity models, it is still capable of resolving previously unseen anomalous structures within the edifice with about 5% anomalous discrepancies, making it a potentially valuable tool for the detection of low velocity anomalies related to magmatic intrusions or mush.

Does duckweed (Lemna minor) feed inclusion play a role on growth, feed conversion ratio and reproductive performance (fertilization, hatchability and survivability rates) in omnivorous fish? Evidence in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus‐Linnaeus, 1758)

AbstractFish feed production is fraught with high costs due to the inclusion of expensive fishmeal and animal proteins that can be sourced from aquatic macrophytes. Limited attempts have been made on use of the latter for fish feed production. Further, the quality of feed given to fish is known to affect its growth and reproductive performance. Role of feeds containing duckweed (Lemna minor) at 0%‐control feed, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% inclusion levels on growth and reproductive performance of Oreochromis niloticus of size 18 ± 1 g were evaluated for 12 weeks. The fish were fed twice daily at 10% body weight at 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Length–weight measurements were done fortnightly using a measuring board and a weighing balance, respectively. Female mouth‐brooding fish were used to evaluate reproductive performance indicators, namely %: fertilization, hatchability and survivability. Data were subjected to one‐way analysis of variance followed by post hoc and polynomial orthogonal analysis to identify L. minor diets with significant differences (p < 0.05). Fish fed on a diet containing 10% L. minor inclusion showed significantly better growth performance and feed conversion ratio than those fed on the control diet. All L. minor diets gave good fish condition factors above 1.0. Fish fed on a diet containing 10% L. minor and those fed on the control gave reasonably high survival rates of 85.55% and 83.33%, respectively, whereas those fed on 20% L. minor produced the same growth performance as control. Orthogonal polynomial analysis for the final weights across the L. minor diets – 0%–25% – showed a cubic polynomial model (p = 0.000), whereas final lengths portrayed a linear inverse significant relationship (p < 0.05). Inclusion of L. minor in the diets resulted to slightly better fertilization, hatchability and survivability rates at 10%, 20% and 15%, respectively. In conclusion, inclusion of L. minor from 10% to 20% in fish feeds is recommended for enhancing growth and reproductive performance of O. niloticus.

Adaptive Bregman–Kaczmarz: an approach to solve linear inverse problems with independent noise exactly

We consider the block Bregman–Kaczmarz method for finite dimensional linear inverse problems. The block Bregman–Kaczmarz method uses blocks of the linear system and performs iterative steps with these blocks only. We assume a noise model that we call independent noise, i.e. each time the method performs a step for some block, one obtains a noisy sample of the respective part of the right-hand side which is contaminated with new noise that is independent of all previous steps of the method. One can view these noise models as making a fresh noisy measurement of the respective block each time it is used. In this framework, we are able to show that a well-chosen adaptive stepsize of the block Bregman–Kaczmarz method is able to converge to the exact solution of the linear inverse problem. The plain form of this adaptive stepsize relies on unknown quantities (like the Bregman distance to the solution), but we show a way how these quantities can be estimated purely from given data. We illustrate the finding in numerical experiments and confirm that these heuristic estimates lead to effective stepsizes.

Bayesian linearized inversion for petrophysical and pore-connectivity parameters with seismic elastic data of carbonate reservoirs

Abstract Carbonate reservoirs are important targets for promoting the oil and gas reserve exploration and production in China. However, such reservoirs usually contain the developed complex pore structures, which heavily affect the precision in seismic prediction of petrophysical parameters. As one of the most important parameters to characterize reservoir rock, pore-related parameters can not only describe the pore structure, but also be used to evaluate the oil/gas bearing capabilities of potential reservoirs. The conventional rock-physics models (e.g. Gassmann's model) are formulated assuming fully-connected pores, which is unable to accurately capture the geometrical complexity in real rocks. In order to characterize the influences of multiple pores on the elastic properties, this work presents a rock-physics modelling method for carbonates, wherein the percentage composition of connected pores is equivalently quantified as the pore-connectivity factor. The method treats the pore-connectivity factor as an objective variable to characterize the spatial variations of pore structure. Specifically, the method combines the differential equivalent medium theory and Gassmann's model, and derives a linearized forward operator to quantitatively link porosity, water saturation, and pore-connectivity factor to seismic elastic parameters. According to the Bayesian linear inverse theory, the simultaneous estimation of petrophysical and pore-connectivity parameters is achieved. To characterize the statistical variations with multiple lithofacies, the Gaussian mixture model is employed to quantify the prior distribution of the objective variables. The posterior distribution of the objective variables is analytically expressed with the linearized forward operator. Numerical experiments show that the accuracy of the proposed method in predicting elastic parameters is improved. Compared with the conventional Xu-White model and the varying pore aspect ratio method, the accuracy of predicted P-wave velocity increases by 10.29% and 1.33%, respectively, and the predicted S-wave velocity increases by 6.44% and 0.03%, in terms of correlation coefficient. The application to the field data validates the effectiveness of the method, wherein the porosity and water saturation results help indicating the spatial distribution of potential reservoirs.

The photochemical trans → cis and thermal cis → trans isomerization pathways of azobenzo-13-crown ether: A computational study on a strained cyclic azobenzene system.

The isomerization of azobenzo-13-crown ether can be expected to be hindered due to the polyoxyethylene linkage connecting the 2,2'-positions of azobenzene. The mixed reference spin-flip time-dependent density functional theory results reveal that the planar and rotational minima of the first photo-excited singlet state (S1) of the trans-isomer pass through a barrier (2.5-5.0 kcal/mol) as it goes toward the torsional conical intersection (S0/S1) geometry (<CNNC ≈ 98°), which is responsible for the cis isomer formation. The second excited singlet state (S2) of the trans form has a nearly planar minimum along the N-N stretching mode, which approaches a sloped S2/S1 intersection geometry. This excited state has a rotational minimum (<CNNC ≈ 99°) as well. Both these minima have a characteristic S2-S1 energy gap of 9 kcal/mol and may undergo internal conversion. A comparison of this system with an analogous 2,2'-dimethoxy-substituted azobenzene system reveals less strain in the rotational path of the latter on the S1 surface, indicating the possibility of its better trans → cis yield than the azocrown. The completely planar S2 geometry of the dimethoxy system has easy access to the linear concerted inversion path, which seems to be the reason behind its reported slightly lower π-π*(S2) yield than n-π*(S1). The thermal cis → trans isomerization path of the azobenzo-13-crown passes through a transition state (frequency 453i cm-1), which corresponds to Gibbs free energy of activation value of 26 kcal/mol in the gas-phase and isooctane. Our study also confirms that its trans isomer strongly binds Li+ among the alkali metal ions, and this observation may open up possibilities for practical applications of this azobenzo-crown.

Regional stress field in the SE margin of the Tibetan Plateau revealed by the focal mechanisms of small and moderate earthquakes

In this study, we investigate the stress field in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. We first determine the focal mechanism solutions of 1537 small and moderate (3.2 ≤ MW ≤ 6.7) regional earthquakes from January 2009 to June 2021, and then use the focal mechanisms to invert for the spatial variation of crustal stress field by a damped linear inversion method. Our result suggests that in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau the seismogenic zone is in the upper crust above 15-km depth, and the stress field is predominantly strike-slip in the Sichuan-Yunnan Rhombic Block (SYRB). The maximum compressional stress axis is oriented in a fan-shaped pattern, rotating clockwise from nearly east-west in the Songpan-Ganzi Terrain in the north to northwest-southeast in the SYRB to nearly north-south across the Red River Fault in the Indo-China Block (ICB), consistent with the GPS-derived surface strain rate. The stress field around the border of the Tibetan Plateau with high elevation relief appears to be largely caused by gravitational effect with the maximum extensional axis perpendicular to the topography gradient. The stress field in the vicinity of the Longmenshan Fault Zone and in the Yangtze Craton is mainly thrust as a result of the eastward expansion of the Tibetan Plateau and the resistance of the Sichuan Basin. Near the epicenter of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and in the northeastern end of the Longmenshan Fault Zone, the thrust stress field shows spatial variations as a result of the perturbation by complex geometry and the post-seismic healing process. Our result provides multi-resolution images of the stress field for better understanding about the mechanisms of seismic activity and crustal deformation in the southeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau.

Slab Driven Quaternary Rock‐Uplift and Topographic Evolution in the Northern‐Central Apennines From Linear Inversion of the Drainage System

AbstractInvestigating rock‐uplift variations in time and space provides insights into the processes driving mountain‐belt evolution. The Apennine Mountains of Italy underwent substantial Quaternary rock uplift that shaped the present‐day topography. Here, we present linear river‐profile inversions for 28 catchments draining the eastern flank of the Northern‐Central Apennines to reconstruct rock‐uplift histories. We calibrated these results by estimating an erodibility coefficient (K) from incision rates and catchment‐averaged erosion rates obtained from cosmogenic‐nuclide data, and we tested whether a uniform or variable K produces a rock‐uplift model that satisfactorily fits independent geochronological constraints. We employ a landscape‐evolution model to demonstrate that our inversion results are reliable despite substantial seaward lengthening of the catchments during uplift. Our findings suggest that a rock‐uplift pulse started around 3.0–2.5 Ma, coinciding with the onset of extension in the Apennines, and migrated southward at a rate of ∼90 km/Myr. The highest reconstructed rock‐uplift rates (&gt;1 km/Myr) occur in the region encompassing the highest Apennine massifs. These results are consistent with numerical models and field evidence from other regions exhibiting rapid rock‐uplift pulses and uplift migration related to slab break‐off. Our results support the hypothesis of break‐off of the Adria slab under the central Apennines and its southward propagation during the Quaternary. Moreover, the results suggest a renewed increase in rock‐uplift rates after the Middle Pleistocene along the Adriatic coast, coeval with recent uplift acceleration along the eastern coast of southern Italy in the Apulian foreland.