DAT-GUI: A MATLAB-Based Graphical User Interface Toolkit for Receiver Function Processing and Imaging with Dense Seismic Arrays

Abstract The past decade has seen widespread deployment of short-period nodal seismometers across diverse geological settings. Such arrays have revolutionized subsurface imaging by providing unprecedented spatial sampling at relatively low cost. In particular, the rapid growth of large-N seismic observations lays a solid data foundation for the development of efficient array-based tools for imaging fine-scale structures. In this study, we present Dense Array Toolkit-graphical user interface (DAT-GUI), an open-source MATLAB-based software package designed specifically for receiver function (RF) processing and imaging of dense seismic array data. The dense spatial coverage of nodal arrays shifts RF analysis from the single-station framework traditionally used for broadband stations to array-based approaches that better exploit the spatial coherence of teleseismic wavefields. Our package embraces this paradigm by organizing RF processing around the common-event gather, which forms the fundamental processing unit. DAT-GUI is composed of four core modules within a unified framework, including seismic data preprocessing, RF deconvolution, array processing (denoising and reconstruction), and imaging (common conversion point stacking, 2D and 3D migration). Aside from the conventional preprocessing and deconvolution procedures used for RF calculations, DAT-GUI offers optional array-based methods to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of low-quality teleseismic recordings. Furthermore, the incorporation of migration techniques enables improved imaging of complex geological structures, serving as a complement to conventional stacking methods. The graphical interface supports interactive visualization of processing results, providing user-friendly interfaces for rapid quality control for preprocessing, interactive parameter optimization for noise suppression, and accessible workflows for researchers without extensive programming experience. The flexibility and practicality of DAT-GUI are demonstrated through two representative examples involving linear and distributed array geometries. The DAT-GUI software is available as open-source at Data and Resources.