Tomofast-x 2.0: an open-source parallel code for inversion of potential field data with topography using wavelet compression

• Published in: Geoscientific Model Development Vol. 17; no. 6; pp. 2325 - 2345
• Main Authors: Ogarko, Vitaliy, Frankcombe, Kim, Liu, Taige, Giraud, Jeremie, Martin, Roland, Jessell, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 21.03.2024; European Geosciences Union; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Algorithms; Collaboration; Compression; Data compression; Datasets; Distributed memory; Geology; Gravity; Magnetic data; Magnetic permeability; Magnetic susceptibility; Magnetization; Mineral exploration; Mineral industry; Mining industry; Potential fields; Python; Sciences of the Universe; Software services; Source code; Synthetic data; Technology application; Topography; Vectors
• ISSN: 1991-9603; 1991-959X; 1991-962X; 1991-9603; 1991-962X; 1991-959X
• DOI: 10.5194/gmd-17-2325-2024

We present a major release of the Tomofast-x open-source gravity and magnetic inversion code that incorporates several functionalities enhancing its performance and applicability for both industrial and academic studies. The code has been re-designed with a focus on real-world mineral exploration scenarios, while offering flexibility for applications at regional scale or for crustal studies. This new version includes several major improvements: magnetisation vector inversion, inversion of multi-component magnetic data, wavelet compression, improved handling of topography with support for non-uniform grids, a new and efficient parallelisation scheme, a flexible parameter file, and optimised input–output operations. Extensive testing has been conducted on a large synthetic dataset and field data from a prospective area of the Eastern Goldfields (Western Australia) to explore new functionalities with a focus on inversion for magnetisation vectors and magnetic susceptibility, respectively. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of Tomofast-x 2.0 in real-world studies in terms of both the recovery of subsurface features and performances on shared and distributed memory machines. Overall, with its updated features, improved capabilities, and performances, the new version of Tomofast-x provides a free open-source, validated advanced and versatile tool for constrained gravity and magnetic inversion.