Near-surface geophysics: from measurements to reliable models

Near-surface geophysics encompasses methods for investigating the upper layers of the Earth’s crust, where geological processes directly affect infrastructure, natural resources, and environmental risks. The Near-surface geophysics Collection brings together studies that demonstrate the rapid evolution of the field, ranging from advances in data acquisition and processing to new inversion and regularization strategies and integrated case studies. In this editorial, the contributions are grouped into three themes: improving the coverage and quality of seismic data; developing inversion and regularization methods for diverse datasets; and integrating data from multiple geophysical methods. Together, these approaches highlight the move toward more reliable and higher-quality subsurface models.