scholarly journals Amplitude and phase changes for reflected and transmitted waves from a curved interface in anisotropic media

Author(s):  
Bjørn Ursin ◽  
Nathalie Favretto-Cristini ◽  
Paul Cristini

Summary It is well known that seismic data that have been recorded in complex geological environments must be compensated for geometrical spreading before AVO/AVA analysis, in order to avoid erroneous imaging interpretation. By investigating analytically both the effect of the geometrical spreading and the effect of the reflector curvature on amplitude and phase changes for reflected and transmitted waves between anisotropic media, using ray theory, we show that these data should be compensated for interface effects as well. In order to gain insight more specifically in the focusing effect of the interface, the special case of homogeneous isotropic media separated by a curved interface of syncline type is discussed and compared to the case of a plane interface. 3D numerical simulations of wave reflection from curved interfaces using a Spectral-Element Method validate our analytical derivations. In particular, numerical seismograms obtained at a vertical receiver array highlight that the effect of interface curvature on the reflected events is much more pronounced in a restricted area associated with the existence of caustics, which is consistent with our analytical predictions. Moreover, comparisons between the numerical and the analytical results confirm the fact that using plane-wave reflection coefficients without correction for the interface effect may lead to wrong interpretation of AVA/AVO analysis.

Geophysics ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. C123-C134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjørn Ursin ◽  
Nathalie Favretto-Cristini ◽  
Paul Cristini

Geophysics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 308-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Pšenčík ◽  
Joe A. Dellinger

In inhomogeneous isotropic regions, S-waves can be modeled using the ray method for isotropic media. In inhomogeneous strongly anisotropic regions, the independently propagating qS1- and qS2-waves can similarly be modeled using the ray method for anisotropic media. The latter method does not work properly in inhomogenous weakly anisotropic regions, however, where the split qS-waves couple. The zeroth‐order approximation of the quasi‐isotropic (QI) approach was designed for just such inhomogeneous weakly anisotropic media, for which neither the ray method for isotropic nor anisotropic media applies. We test the ranges of validity of these three methods using two simple synthetic models. Our results show that the QI approach more than spans the gap between the ray methods: it can be used in isotropic regions (where it reduces to the ray method for isotropic media), in regions of weak anisotropy (where the ray method for anisotropic media does not work properly), and even in regions of moderately strong anisotropy (in which the qS-waves decouple and thus could be modeled using the ray method for anisotropic media). A modeling program that switches between these three methods as necessary should be valid for arbitrary‐strength anisotropy.


Geophysics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 268-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilya Tsvankin

Description of reflection moveout from dipping interfaces is important in developing seismic processing methods for anisotropic media, as well as in the inversion of reflection data. Here, I present a concise analytic expression for normal‐moveout (NMO) velocities valid for a wide range of homogeneous anisotropic models including transverse isotropy with a tilted in‐plane symmetry axis and symmetry planes in orthorhombic media. In transversely isotropic media, NMO velocity for quasi‐P‐waves may deviate substantially from the isotropic cosine‐of‐dip dependence used in conventional constant‐velocity dip‐moveout (DMO) algorithms. However, numerical studies of NMO velocities have revealed no apparent correlation between the conventional measures of anisotropy and errors in the cosine‐of‐dip DMO correction (“DMO errors”). The analytic treatment developed here shows that for transverse isotropy with a vertical symmetry axis, the magnitude of DMO errors is dependent primarily on the difference between Thomsen parameters ε and δ. For the most common case, ε − δ > 0, the cosine‐of‐dip–corrected moveout velocity remains significantly larger than the moveout velocity for a horizontal reflector. DMO errors at a dip of 45 degrees may exceed 20–25 percent, even for weak anisotropy. By comparing analytically derived NMO velocities with moveout velocities calculated on finite spreads, I analyze anisotropy‐induced deviations from hyperbolic moveout for dipping reflectors. For transversely isotropic media with a vertical velocity gradient and typical (positive) values of the difference ε − δ, inhomogeneity tends to reduce (sometimes significantly) the influence of anisotropy on the dip dependence of moveout velocity.


Geophysics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 947-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tariq Alkhalifah

Nearly all dip‐moveout correction (DMO) implementations to date assume isotropic homogeneous media. Usually, this has been acceptable considering the tremendous cost savings of homogeneous isotropic DMO and considering the difficulty of obtaining the anisotropy parameters required for effective implementation. In the presence of typical anisotropy, however, ignoring the anisotropy can yield inadequate results. Since anisotropy may introduce large deviations from hyperbolic moveout, accurate transformation to zero‐offset in anisotropic media should address such nonhyperbolic moveout behavior of reflections. Artley and Hale’s v(z) ray‐tracing‐based DMO, developed for isotropic media, provides an attractive approach to treating such problems. By using a ray‐tracing procedure crafted for anisotropic media, I modify some aspects of their DMO so that it can work for v(z) anisotropic media. DMO impulse responses in typical transversely isotropic (TI) models (such as those associated with shales) deviate substantially from the familiar elliptical shape associated with responses in homogeneous isotropic media (to the extent that triplications arise even where the medium is homogeneous). Such deviations can exceed those caused by vertical inhomogeneity, thus emphasizing the importance of taking anisotropy into account in DMO processing. For isotropic or elliptically anisotropic media, the impulse response is an ellipse; but as the key anisotropy parameter η varies, the shape of the response differs substantially from elliptical. For typical η > 0, the impulse response in TI media tends to broaden compared to the response in an isotropic homogeneous medium, a behavior opposite to that encountered in typical v(z) isotropic media, where the response tends to be squeezed. Furthermore, the amplitude distribution along the DMO operator differs significantly from that for isotropic media. Application of this anisotropic DMO to data from offshore Africa resulted in a considerably better alignment of reflections from horizontal and dipping reflectors in common‐midpoint gather than that obtained using an isotropic DMO. Even the presence of vertical inhomogeneity in this medium could not eliminate the importance of considering the shale‐induced anisotropy.


Geophysics ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 528-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franklyn K. Levin

Assuming media having a velocity dependence on angle which is an ellipse, we have confirmed previously reported time‐distance relations for reflections from single interfaces, for reflections from sections of beds separated by horizontal interfaces, for refraction arrivals, and added the expression for diffractions. We also have derived expressions for plane‐wave reflection and transmission coefficients at an interface separating two transversely isotropic media. None of the properties differs greatly from those for isotropic media. However, velocities found from seismic surface reflections or refractions are horizontal components. There seems to be no way of obtaining vertical components of velocity from surface measurements alone and hence no way to compute depths from surface data.


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