scholarly journals Converted-wave seismic imaging: Amplitude-balancing source-independent imaging conditions

Geophysics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. S99-S109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey H. Shabelansky ◽  
Alison Malcolm ◽  
Michael Fehler
Keyword(s):  
Wave Speed ◽  
Attractive Alternative ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Converted Wave ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Wave Imaging ◽  
Conversion Coefficients ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Imaging Conditions

We have developed crosscorrelational and deconvolutional forms of a source-independent converted-wave imaging condition (SICW-IC) and show the relationship between them using a concept of conversion ratio coefficient, a concept that we developed through reflection, transmission, and conversion coefficients. We applied the SICW-ICs to a two half-space model and the synthetic Marmousi I and II models and show the sensitivity of the SICW-ICs to incorrect wave speed models. We also compare the SICW-ICs and source-dependent elastic reverse time migration. The results of SICW-ICs highlight the improvements in spatial resolution and amplitude balancing with the deconvolutional forms. This is an attractive alternative to active and passive source elastic imaging.

Vector-based elastic reverse time migration based on scalar imaging condition

Geophysics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. S111-S127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qizhen Du ◽  
ChengFeng Guo ◽  
Qiang Zhao ◽  
Xufei Gong ◽  
Chengxiang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Polarity Reversal ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Converted Wave ◽  
Imaging Condition ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Wavefield Separation ◽  
Wave Modes

The scalar images (PP, PS, SP, and SS) of elastic reverse time migration (ERTM) can be generated by applying an imaging condition as crosscorrelation of pure wave modes. In conventional ERTM, Helmholtz decomposition is commonly applied in wavefield separation, which leads to a polarity reversal problem in converted-wave images because of the opposite polarity distributions of the S-wavefields. Polarity reversal of the converted-wave image will cause destructive interference when stacking over multiple shots. Besides, in the 3D case, the curl calculation generates a vector S-wave, which makes it impossible to produce scalar PS, SP, and SS images with the crosscorrelation imaging condition. We evaluate a vector-based ERTM (VB-ERTM) method to address these problems. In VB-ERTM, an amplitude-preserved wavefield separation method based on decoupled elastic wave equation is exploited to obtain the pure wave modes. The output separated wavefields are both vectorial. To obtain the scalar images, the scalar imaging condition in which the scalar product of two vector wavefields with source-normalized illumination is exploited to produce scalar images instead of correlating Cartesian components or magnitude of the vector P- and S-wave modes. Compared with alternative methods for correcting the polarity reversal of PS and SP images, our ERTM solution is more stable and simple. Besides these four scalar images, the VB-ERTM method generates another PP-mode image by using the auxiliary stress wavefields. Several 2D and 3D numerical examples are evaluated to demonstrate the potential of our ERTM method.

Imaging conditions for elastic reverse time migration

Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. S95-S111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Ying Shi
Keyword(s):  
Decomposition Method ◽  
Inner Product ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Imaging Condition ◽  
Subsurface Structures ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Imaging Conditions ◽  
Wave Modes

Elastic reverse time migration (RTM) has the ability to retrieve accurately migrated images of complex subsurface structures by imaging the multicomponent seismic data. However, the imaging condition applied in elastic RTM significantly influences the quality of the migrated images. We evaluated three kinds of imaging conditions in elastic RTM. The first kind of imaging condition involves the crosscorrelation between the Cartesian components of the particle-velocity wavefields to yield migrated images of subsurface structures. An alternative crosscorrelation imaging condition between the separated pure wave modes obtained by a Helmholtz-like decomposition method could produce reflectivity images with explicit physical meaning and fewer crosstalk artifacts. A drawback of this approach, though, was that the polarity reversal of the separated S-wave could cause destructive interference in the converted-wave image after stacking over multiple shots. Unlike the conventional decomposition method, the elastic wavefields can also be decomposed in the vector domain using the decoupled elastic wave equation, which preserves the amplitude and phase information of the original elastic wavefields. We have developed an inner-product imaging condition to match the vector-separated P- and S-wave modes to obtain scalar reflectivity images of the subsurface. Moreover, an auxiliary P-wave stress image can supplement the elastic imaging. Using synthetic examples with a layered model, the Marmousi 2 model, and a fault model, we determined that the inner-product imaging condition has prominent advantages over the other two imaging conditions and generates images with preserved amplitude and phase attributes.

3D angle decomposition for elastic reverse time migration

Geophysics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. S377-S389
Author(s):  
Yuting Duan ◽  
Paul Sava
Keyword(s):  
Field Data ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Image Point ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Converted Wave ◽  
The Third ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Straight Lines ◽  
2D And 3D

We have developed three approaches for 3D angle decomposition using elastic reverse time migration. The first approach uses time- and space-lag common-image point gathers computed from elastic wavefields. This method facilitates computing angle gathers at sparse and possibly irregularly distributed points in the image. The second approach transforms extended time-lag images to the angle domain using slant stacks along 4D surfaces, instead of using slant stacks along 2D straight lines. The third approach transforms space-lag common-image gathers to the angle domain. The three proposed methods solve a system of equations that handles dipping reflectors, and they yield angle gathers that are more accurate compared with those obtained via alternative existing methods. We have developed our methods using 2D and 3D synthetic and field data examples and found that they provide accurate opening and azimuth angles and they can handle steeply dipping reflectors and converted wave modes.

Separating quasi-P-wave in transversely isotropic media with a vertical symmetry axis by synthesized pressure applied to ocean-bottom seismic data elastic reverse time migration

Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. C295-C307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Yu ◽  
Jianhua Geng ◽  
Chenlong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Transversely Isotropic ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Ocean Bottom ◽  
Receiver Side ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Isotropic Media ◽  
Wave Imaging ◽  
Obs Data

Quasi-P (qP)-wavefield separation is a crucial step for elastic P-wave imaging in anisotropic media. It is, however, notoriously challenging to quickly and accurately obtain separated qP-wavefields. Based on the concepts of the trace of the stress tensor and the pressure fields defined in isotropic media, we have developed a new method to rapidly separate the qP-wave in a transversely isotropic medium with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI) by synthesized pressure from ocean-bottom seismic (OBS) data as a preprocessing step for elastic reverse time migration (ERTM). Another key aspect of OBS data elastic wave imaging is receiver-side 4C records back extrapolation. Recent studies have revealed that receiver-side tensorial extrapolation in isotropic media with ocean-bottom 4C records can sufficiently suppress nonphysical waves produced during receiver-side reverse time wavefield extrapolation. Similarly, the receiver-side 4C records tensorial extrapolation was extended to ERTM in VTI media in our studies. Combining a separated qP-wave by synthesizing pressure and receiver-side wavefield reverse time tensorial extrapolation with the crosscorrelation imaging condition, we have developed a robust, fast, flexible, and elastic imaging quality improved method in VTI media for OBS data.

scholarly journals Attenuating multiple-related imaging artifacts using combined imaging conditions

Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. S469-S475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Alberto da Costa Filho ◽  
Andrew Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Small Scale ◽  
Imaging Method ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Depth Migration ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Migration Method ◽  
Combined Imaging ◽  
Spatial Locations ◽  
Imaging Conditions

The objective of prestack depth migration is to position reflectors at their correct subsurface locations. However, migration methods often also generate artifacts along with physical reflectors, which hamper interpretation. These spurious reflectors often appear at different spatial locations in the image depending on which migration method is used. Therefore, we have devised a postimaging filter that combines two imaging conditions to preserve their similarities and to attenuate their differences. The imaging filter is based on combining the two constituent images and their envelopes that were obtained from the complex vertical traces of the images. We have used the method to combine two images resulting from different migration schemes, which produce dissimilar artifacts: a conventional migration method (equivalent to reverse time migration) and a deconvolution-based imaging method. We show how this combination may be exploited to attenuate migration artifacts in a final image. A synthetic model containing a syncline and stochastically generated small-scale heterogeneities in the velocity and density distributions was used for the numerical example. We compared the images in detail at two locations where spurious events arose and also at a true reflector. We found that the combined imaging condition has significantly fewer artifacts than either constituent image individually.

Multicomponent and source-free converted-wave reverse time migration for VSP

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Du ◽  
Yunyue Elita Li ◽  
Jizhong Yang ◽  
Arthur Cheng ◽  
Xinding Fang
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Converted Wave ◽  
Time Migration

Five ways to avoid storing source wavefield snapshots in 2D elastic prestack reverse time migration

Geophysics ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. S1-S18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bao D. Nguyen ◽  
George A. McMechan
Keyword(s):  
Random Access ◽  
Reverse Time ◽  
Reverse Time Migration ◽  
Access Memory ◽  
Additional Source ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Elastic Data ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Imaging Conditions

Five alternative algorithms were evaluated to circumvent the excessive storage requirement imposed by saving source wavefield snapshots used for the crosscorrelation image condition in 2D prestack elastic reverse time migration. We compared the algorithms on the basis of their ability, either to accurately reconstruct (not save) the source wavefield or to use an alternate image condition so that neither saving nor reconstruction of full wavefields was involved. The comparisons were facilitated by using the same (velocity-stress) extrapolator in all the algorithms, and running them all on the same hardware. We assumed that there was enough memory in a node to do an extrapolation, and that all input data were stored on disk rather than residing in random-access memory. This should provide a fair and balanced comparison. Reconstruction of the source wavefield from boundary and/or initial values reduced the required storage to a very small fraction of that needed to store source wavefield snapshots for conventional crosscorrelation, at the cost of adding an additional source extrapolation. Reverse time checkpointing avoided recursive forward recomputation. Two nonreconstructive imaging conditions do not require full snapshot storage or an additional extrapolation. Time-binning the imaging criteria removed the need for image time searching or sorting. Numerical examples using elastic data from the Marmousi2 model showed that the quality of the elastic prestack PP and PS images produced by the cost-optimized alternative algorithms were (virtually) identical to the higher cost images produced by traditional crosscorrelation.

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