Tensorweave 1.0: Interpolating geophysical tensor fields with spatial neural networks

Abstract

Tensor fields, as spatial derivatives of scalar or vector potentials, offer powerful insight into subsurface structures in geophysics. However, accurately interpolating these measurements-such as those from full-tensor potential field gradiometry-remains difficult, especially when data are sparse or irregularly sampled. We present a physics-informed spatial neural network that treats tensors according to their nature as derivatives of an underlying scalar field, enabling consistent, high-fidelity interpolation across the entire domain. By leveraging the differentiable nature of neural networks, our method not only honours the physical constraints inherent to potential fields but also reconstructs the scalar and vector fields that generate the observed tensors. We demonstrate the approach on synthetic gravity gradiometry data and real full-tensor magnetic data from Geyer, Germany. Results show significant improvements in interpolation accuracy, structural continuity, and uncertainty quantification compared to conventional methods.