Scientific machine learning for geophysics

Machine learning and signal processing for seismic data.

I develop machine-learning and signal-processing methods for distributed acoustic sensing, seismic denoising, reconstruction, earthquake detection, and geophysical inversion.

Publications Presentations Research Areas CV Contact

About Me

I am a Ph.D. Student in Geophysics at Uppsala University, Sweden, supervised by Dr. Myrto Papadopoulou and Dr. Ayse Kaslilar Sisman.

My research interests include scientific machine learning for geophysics (AI4GEO), distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), surface-wave processing and inversion, seismic denoising and reconstruction, and earthquake seismology.

I received my M.Sc. in Geophysics from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, supervised by Dr. Umair bin Waheed and Dr. Yangkang Chen, and my B.Eng. in Exploration Technology and Engineering from Yangtze University.

News

  • 2026 June: I will attend EAGE Annual this year, where I will give 4 oral presentations acrossing physics-aware deep learning and neural oeprators.
  • 2026 May: 3rd Place, 10th SEG Europe Virtual Student Conference.
  • 2026 Mar: Started as a Ph.D. Student in Geophysics at Uppsala University.
  • 2026: Co-authored journal articles in Scientific Reports and Artificial Intelligence in Geosciences, and an arXiv preprint on seismic data denoising.
  • 2025: Published first-author journal articles in Geophysical Journal International and IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.
  • 2025: Presented conference work at the SEG International Exposition and Annual Meeting and the 86th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition.
  • 2025: Finalist, Machine Learning Competition, KFUPM.

Research Areas

  • Scientific machine learning for geophysics and AI4GEO.
  • Distributed acoustic sensing data processing and DAS-VSP denoising.
  • Neural operators for seismic reconstruction and denoising.
  • Earthquake signal detection, surface-wave processing, and inversion.
  • Physics-aware learning for geophysical inverse problems.

Publications

Journal Articles - First Author

  1. arXivCui, Yang, Anikiev, D., Waheed, U. B. & Chen, Y. Learning from Imperfect Labels: A Physics-Aware Neural Operator with Application to DAS Data Denoising. arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.15638 (2025).
  2. GJICui, Yang, Bai, M., Wu, J. & Chen, Y. Earthquake signal detection using a multiscale feature fusion network with hybrid attention mechanism. Geophysical Journal International 240, 988-1008 (2025).
  3. TGRSCui, Yang, Waheed, U. B. & Chen, Y. Unsupervised deep learning for DAS-VSP denoising using attention-based deep image prior. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 63, 1-14 (2025).
  4. TGRSCui, Yang, Bai, M., Zhou, Z. & Chen, Y. One-dimensional dictionary learning with variational sparse representation for single-channel seismic denoising. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 62, 1-13 (2024).
  5. GeophysicsCui, Yang, Wu, J., Bai, M. & Chen, Y. Ground-truth-free deep learning for 3D seismic denoising and reconstruction with channel attention mechanism. Geophysics 89, V503-V520 (2024).

Journal Articles - Co-Author

  1. arXivZhao, J., Waheed, U. B., Sun, J., Cui, Yang, Savva, N. & Verschuur, E. Parameter-Efficient Adaptation of Pre-Trained Vision Foundation Models for Active and Passive Seismic Data Denoising. arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.10953 (2026).
  2. Sci RepAl-Qadasi, B., Cui, Yang, Waheed, U. B. & Wang, H. F. A novel deep-learning model to convert DAS strain to geophone particle velocity: application to PoroTomo data from the Brady geothermal field. Scientific Reports (2026).
  3. AIGTraversa, A., Cui, Yang†, Waheed, U. B. & Chen, Y. SeisReconNO: Leveraging a U-Net-Enhanced Fourier neural operator for 3D seismic reconstruction. Artificial Intelligence in Geosciences, 100212 (2026).
  4. TGRSBai, M., Yang, B., Wu, J., Zhou, Z., Cui, Yang, Ma, Z. & Zeng, Y. Efficient Convolutional Sparse Coding Based on Penalized Weighted Least Squares for Seismic Data Denoising. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 62, 1-12 (2024).
  5. TGRSZhou, Z., Bai, M., Wu, J. & Cui, Yang. Coherent noise attenuation by kurtosis-guided adaptive dictionary learning based on variational sparse representation. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 61, 1-10 (2023).

† Equal contribution.

Conference Presentations

  1. SEG 2025Cui, Yang, Waheed, U. B., Song, C. & Chen, Y. Leveraging Kolmogorov-Arnold network empowered Fourier neural operator to solve Eikonal equation. SEG International Exposition and Annual Meeting, SEG-2025 (2025).
  2. EAGE 2025Traversa, A., Cui, Y. & Waheed, U. B. Learning a Robust 3D Seismic Data Reconstruction Operator using UFNO. 86th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition, 1-5 (2025).
  3. EAGE 2025Cui, Y., Huff, O. R., Waheed, U. B., Lie, J. E., Evensen, A. K. & Bugge, A. J. Marine Seismic Near Offset Data Reconstruction Using a KAN-Powered FNO. 86th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition, 1-5 (2025).
  4. EAGE 2025Cui, Y., Waheed, U. B. & Chen, Y. Robust DAS Denoising Using a Self-Supervised Method with Kurtosis-Based Feature Selection. 86th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition, 1-5 (2025).
  5. EAGE 2025Abdullin, A., Waheed, U. B. & Cui, Y. Seismic Event Detection with Fourier Neural Operator. 86th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition, 1-5 (2025).
  6. AGU 2024Waheed, U. B., Al-Qadasi, B. & Cui, Yang. Evaluating seismic array processing using a novel Deep Learning-based converted DAS strain-ground particle velocity at Brady geothermal field. AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, S21G-3487 (2024).
  7. SEG 2024Cui, Yang, Waheed, U. B. & Chen, Y. Background noise suppression for DAS-VSP data using attention-based deep image prior. SEG International Exposition and Annual Meeting, SEG-2024 (2024).
  8. SEG 2024Zhou, Y., Cui, Yang & Hanafy, S. Super-virtual interferometry for noise elimination on vertical seismic profiling (VSP). SEG International Exposition and Annual Meeting, SEG-2024 (2024).

Experience

  • Oct 2025: 2D Land Streamer Acquisition, ARGAS, Saudi Arabia.
  • Nov 2024: 3D Seismic Data Acquisition Intern, Saudi Aramco & BGP, Saudi Arabia.
  • Dec 2021: Comprehensive Geology Intern, Yangtze University, Hubei, China.

Education

Honors and Awards

  • 2026: 3rd Place, 10th SEG Europe Virtual Student Conference, SEG, Europe.
  • 2025: Finalist, Machine Learning Competition, KFUPM, Saudi Arabia.
  • 2024: National Scholarship (Top 3%), Yangtze University, China.
  • 2023: Excellent Bachelor's Thesis (Top 4%), Yangtze University, China.
  • 2023: Outstanding Graduate, Yangtze University, China.
  • 2023: Third Prize, National College Students Geophysics Knowledge Competition, China.
  • 2023: Second Prize, 10th "BGP CUP" National Geophysics Competition, China.
  • 2022: National Encouragement Scholarship (Top 10%), Yangtze University, China.
  • 2021: National Encouragement Scholarship (Top 10%), Yangtze University, China.

Teaching

  • 2026 Spring: TA, Inversion of Geophysical Data, Uppsala University.
  • 2025 Fall: TA, Special Topic: Deep Learning in Geophysics, KFUPM.
  • 2025 Spring: TA, Special Topic: Introduction to Machine Learning, KFUPM.
  • 2024 Fall: TA, Special Topic: Deep Learning in Geophysics, KFUPM.