3-D elastic prestack, reverse‐time depth migration

Geophysics ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen‐Fong Chang ◽  
George A. McMechan
Keyword(s):  
Finite Differences ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Depth Migration ◽  
Full Wave ◽  
Source Data ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
Time Extrapolation

By combining and extending previous algorithms for 2-D prestack elastic migration and 3-D prestack acoustic migration, a full 3-D elastic prestack depth migration algorithm is developed. Reverse‐time extrapolation of the recorded data is by 3-D elastic finite differences; computation of the image time for each point in the 3-D volume is by 3-D acoustic finite differences. The algorithm operates on three‐component, vector‐wavefield common‐source data and produces three‐component vector reflectivity distributions. Converted P‐to‐S reflections are automatically imaged with the primary P‐wave reflections. There are no dip restrictions as the full wave equation is used. The algorithm is illustrated by application to synthetic data from three models; a flat reflector, a dipping truncated wedge overlying a flat reflector, and the classical French double dome and fault model.

3-D prestack migration in anisotropic media

Geophysics ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengxin Dong ◽  
George A. McMechan
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Anisotropic Media ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Prestack Migration ◽  
Time Migration

A three‐dimensional (3-D) prestack reverse‐time migration algorithm for common‐source P‐wave data from anisotropic media is developed and illustrated by application to synthetic data. Both extrapolation of the data and computation of the excitation‐time imaging condition are implemented using a second‐order finite‐ difference solution of the 3-D anisotropic scalar‐wave equation. Poorly focused, distorted images are obtained if data from anisotropic media are migrated using isotropic extrapolation; well focused, clear images are obtained using anisotropic extrapolation. A priori estimation of the 3-D anisotropic velocity distribution is required. Zones of anomalous, directionally dependent reflectivity associated with anisotropic fracture zones are detectable in both the 3-D common‐ source data and the corresponding migrated images.

Viscoelastic true-amplitude prestack reverse-time depth migration

Geophysics ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. S143-S155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Deng ◽  
George A. McMechan
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Wave Impedance ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Recursive Procedure ◽  
Depth Migration ◽  
Transmission Coefficients ◽  
Intrinsic Attenuation ◽  
Anelastic Attenuation ◽  
Attenuation Models

A new true-amplitude prestack elastic depth-migration algorithm includes compensation for transmission and anelastic attenuation losses in an isotropic medium. Geometric spreading and its compensation are incorporated by extrapolating up- and downgoing waves using a full two-way wave equation. Intrinsic attenuation is simulated and compensated for using composite memory variables derived from standard linear solid relaxation mechanisms. Zoeppritz equations and their approximations are used to compute and analyze the angle-dependent reflection/transmission coefficients; converted energy is included at each interface. Transmission losses for compressional waves are compensated, based on estimation of angle-dependent elastic reflectivity using a two-pass recursive procedure. The image condition is the ratio of the compressional receiver/source wavefield amplitudes. Application to synthetic data from a dipping-layer model and a salt model accurately extracts P-velocity, S-velocity, density, and P-wave impedance beneath the target reflector, even under a salt overhang. Factors not explicitly considered include building of the smooth background velocity and attenuation models, estimates of the source time function, directivity and coupling, multipathing arrivals, and effects of attenuation and anisotropy on the reflection/transmission coefficients.

Reverse time migration

Geophysics ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 1514-1524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edip Baysal ◽  
Dan D. Kosloff ◽  
John W. C. Sherwood
Keyword(s):  
Wave Amplitude ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Migration Method ◽  
Zero Offset ◽  
Time Extrapolation

Migration of stacked or zero‐offset sections is based on deriving the wave amplitude in space from wave field observations at the surface. Conventionally this calculation has been carried out through a depth extrapolation. We examine the alternative of carrying out the migration through a reverse time extrapolation. This approach may offer improvements over existing migration methods, especially in cases of steeply dipping structures with strong velocity contrasts. This migration method is tested using appropriate synthetic data sets.

An exact adjoint operation pair in time extrapolation and its application in least-squares reverse-time migration

Geophysics ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. H27-H33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Ji
Keyword(s):  
Least Squares ◽  
Adjoint Operator ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Forward Modeling ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Product Test ◽  
Least Squares Migration ◽  
Time Extrapolation

To reduce the migration artifacts arising from incomplete data or inaccurate operators instead of migrating data with the adjoint of the forward-modeling operator, a least-squares migration often is considered. Least-squares migration requires a forward-modeling operator and its adjoint. In a derivation of the mathematically correct adjoint operator to a given forward-time-extrapolation modeling operator, the exact adjoint of the derived operator is obtained by formulating an explicit matrix equation for the forward operation and transposing it. The programs that implement the exact adjoint operator pair are verified by the dot-product test. The derived exact adjoint operator turns out to differ from the conventional reverse-time-migration (RTM) operator, an implementation of wavefield extrapolation backward in time. Examples with synthetic data show that migration using the exact adjoint operator gives similar results for a conventional RTM operator and that least-squares RTM is quite successful in reducing most migration artifacts. The least-squares solution using the exact adjoint pair produces a model that fits the data better than one using a conventional RTM operator pair.

Direct vector-field method to obtain angle-domain common-image gathers from isotropic acoustic and elastic reverse time migration

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. WB135-WB149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qunshan Zhang ◽  
George A. McMechan
Keyword(s):  
Direct Method ◽  
Incident Angle ◽  
Field Method ◽  
Propagation Direction ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Spatial Gradient ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Time Migration

We have developed an alternative (new) method to produce common-image gathers in the incident-angle domain by calculating wavenumbers directly from the P-wave polarization rather than using the dominant wavenumber as the normal to the source wavefront. In isotropic acoustic media, the wave propagation direction can be directly calculated as the spatial gradient direction of the acoustic wavefield, which is parallel to the wavenumber direction (the normal to the wavefront). Instantaneous wavenumber, obtained via a novel Hilbert transform approach, is used to calculate the local normal to the reflectors in the migrated image. The local incident angle is produced as the difference between the propagation direction and the normal to the reflector. By reordering the migrated images (over all common-source gathers) with incident angle, common-image gathers are produced in the incident-angle domain. Instantaneous wavenumber takes the place of the normal to the reflector in the migrated image. P- and S-wave separations allow both PP and PS common-image gathers to be calculated in the angle domain. Unlike the space-shift image condition for calculating the common-image gather in angle domain, we use the crosscorrelation image condition, which is substantially more efficient. This is a direct method, and is less dependent on the data quality than the space-shift method. The concepts were successfully implemented and tested with 2D synthetic acoustic and elastic examples, including a complicated (Marmousi2) model that illustrates effects of multipathing in angle-domain common-image gathers.

Scalar reverse‐time depth migration of prestack elastic seismic data

Geophysics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 1519-1527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Sun ◽  
George A. McMechan
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Waves ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Wave Source ◽  
Reflected Waves ◽  
S Waves ◽  
Elastic Data

Reflected P‐to‐P and P‐to‐S converted seismic waves in a two‐component elastic common‐source gather generated with a P‐wave source in a two‐dimensional model can be imaged by two independent scalar reverse‐time depth migrations. The inputs to migration are pure P‐ and S‐waves that are extracted by divergence and curl calculations during (shallow) extrapolation of the elastic data recorded at the earth’s surface. For both P‐to‐P and P‐to‐S converted reflected waves, the imaging time at each point is the P‐wave traveltime from the source to that point. The extracted P‐wave is reverse‐time extrapolated and imaged with a P‐velocity model, using a finite difference solution of the scalar wave equation. The extracted S‐wave is reverse‐time extrapolated and imaged similarly, but with an S‐velocity model. Converted S‐wave data requires a polarity correction prior to migration to ensure constructive interference between data from adjacent sources. Synthetic examples show that the algorithm gives satisfactory results for laterally inhomogeneous models.

Prestack 2D parsimonious Kirchhoff depth migration of elastic seismic data

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. S157-S164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Sun ◽  
George A. McMechan
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
P Wave ◽  
P Value ◽  
Common Source ◽  
S Wave ◽  
P Values ◽  
Depth Migration ◽  
Reflector Surface ◽  
Kirchhoff Depth Migration

We have extended prestack parsimonious Kirchhoff depth migration for 2D, two-component, reflected elastic seismic data for a P-wave source recorded at the earth’s surface. First, we separated the P-to-P reflected (PP-) waves and P-to-S converted (PS-) waves in an elastic common-source gather into P-wave and S-wave seismograms. Next, we estimated source-ray parameters (source p values) and receiver-ray parameters (receiver p values) for the peaks and troughs above a threshold amplitude in separated P- and S-wavefields. For each PP and PS reflection, we traced (1) a source ray in the P-velocity model in the direction of the emitted ray angle (determined by the source p value) and (2) a receiver ray in the P- or S-velocity model back in the direction of the emergent PP- or PS-wave ray angle (determined by the PP- or PS-wave receiver p value), respectively. The image-point position was adjusted from the intersection of the source and receiver rays to the point where the sum of the source time and receiver-ray time equaled the two-way traveltime. The orientation of the reflector surface was determined to satisfy Snell’s law at the intersection point. The amplitude of a P-wave (or an S-wave) was distributed over the first Fresnel zone along the reflector surface in the P- (or S-) image. Stacking over all P-images of the PP-wave common-source gathers gave the stacked P-image, and stacking over all S-images of the PS-wave common-source gathers gave the stacked S-image. Synthetic examples showed acceptable migration quality; however, the images were less complete than those produced by scalar reverse-time migration (RTM). The computing time for the 2D examples used was about 1/30 of that for scalar RTM of the same data.

3-D prestack full‐wavefield inversion

Geophysics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 1805-1818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Xu ◽  
George A. McMechan ◽  
Robert Sun
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Distribution ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Compressional Wave ◽  
Multilayered Structure ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Inversion Algorithm ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Unequally Spaced ◽  
Wavefield Inversion

A full‐wavefield inversion algorithm for direct imaging of a 3-D compressional wave velocity distribution is based on the full 3-D scalar wave equation and operates on common‐source data recorded by areal arrays. For each source, the method involves reverse‐time extrapolation of the residual wavefield. Application of the image condition by crosscorrelation with the source wavefield at each time step produces a 3-D image whose amplitude at each point is proportional to the required velocity update at that point. Convergence to local minima is mitigated against by gradually increasing the wavenumber bandwidth in the estimated 3-D velocity distribution as iterations proceed, starting from the smallest wavenumber. The algorithm is illustrated by successful application to synthetic data for a multilayered monocline, and for a multilayered structure with the geometry of the standard French model. The latter demonstrates good performance with noisy, unequally spaced data with significant elevation statics.

Source wavelet and its angular spectrum from plan‐wave seismograms

Geophysics ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 1026-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip M. Carrion ◽  
Selma dos S. Sacramento ◽  
Reynam da C. Pestana
Keyword(s):  
Plane Wave ◽  
Rate Of Convergence ◽  
Radiation Pattern ◽  
Numerical Algorithm ◽  
Angular Spectrum ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Vertical Derivative ◽  
Seismic Experiment ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
Time Extrapolation

In a typical seismic experiment (land or marine), the generated source wavelet is either unknown, or known only approximately. In order to solve many geophysical problems, an accurate wavelet estimation is crucial. This paper demonstrates a fast numerical algorithm which allows not only estimating the source wavelet but also its angular spectrum (radiation pattern) from plane‐wave decomposed seismograms. Surprisingly, literature on this subject is virtually missing, although a nonuniform angular spectrum of the generated wavelet can substantially affect the recorded data. The technique presented here is based on the downward continuation (DC) and reverse‐time extrapolation (RTE) of the recorded data (both pressure and its vertical derivative). The proposed method is iterative: The rate of convergence does not depend on phase characteristics of the generated wavelet. We demonstrate that both the wavelet signature and its angular spectrum can be estimated accurately from plane‐wave seismograms. We also illustrate the technique on a variety of wavelets with different amplitude/phase characteristics.

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