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

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.

Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. S333-S345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Yu ◽  
Jianhua Geng ◽  
Xiaobo Li ◽  
Chenlong Wang

Conventionally, multicomponent geophones used to record the elastic wavefields in the solid seabed are necessary for ocean bottom seismic (OBS) data elastic reverse time migration (RTM). Particle velocity components are usually injected directly as boundary conditions in the elastic-wave equation in the receiver-side wavefield extrapolation step, which causes artifacts in the resulting elastic images. We have deduced a first-order acoustic-elastic coupled equation (AECE) by substituting pressure fields into the elastic velocity-stress equation (EVSE). AECE has three advantages for OBS data over EVSE when performing elastic RTM. First, the new equation unifies wave propagation in acoustic and elastic media. Second, the new equation separates P-waves directly during wavefield propagation. Third, three approaches are identified when using the receiver-side multicomponent particle velocity records and pressure records in elastic RTM processing: (1) particle velocity components are set as boundary conditions in receiver-side vectorial extrapolation with the AECE, which is equal to the elastic RTM using the conventional EVSE; (2) the pressure component may also be used for receiver-side scalar extrapolation with the AECE, and with which we can accomplish PP and PS images using only the pressure records and suppress most of the artifacts in the PP image with vectorial extrapolation; and (3) ocean-bottom 4C data can be simultaneously used for elastic images with receiver-side tensorial extrapolation using the AECE. Thus, the AECE may be used for conventional elastic RTM, but it also offers the flexibility to obtain PP and PS images using only pressure records.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Razec Cezar Sampaio Pinto da Silva Torres ◽  
Leandro Di Bartolo

ABSTRACT. Reverse time migration (RTM) is one of the most powerful methods used to generate images of the subsurface. The RTM was proposed in the early 1980s, but only recently it has been routinely used in exploratory projects involving complex geology – Brazilian pre-salt, for example. Because the method uses the two-way wave equation, RTM is able to correctly image any kind of geological environment (simple or complex), including those with anisotropy. On the other hand, RTM is computationally expensive and requires the use of computer clusters. This paper proposes to investigate the influence of anisotropy on seismic imaging through the application of RTM for tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media in pre-stack synthetic data. This work presents in detail how to implement RTM for TTI media, addressing the main issues and specific details, e.g., the computational resources required. A couple of simple models results are presented, including the application to a BP TTI 2007 benchmark model.Keywords: finite differences, wave numerical modeling, seismic anisotropy. Migração reversa no tempo em meios transversalmente isotrópicos inclinadosRESUMO. A migração reversa no tempo (RTM) é um dos mais poderosos métodos utilizados para gerar imagens da subsuperfície. A RTM foi proposta no início da década de 80, mas apenas recentemente tem sido rotineiramente utilizada em projetos exploratórios envolvendo geologia complexa, em especial no pré-sal brasileiro. Por ser um método que utiliza a equação completa da onda, qualquer configuração do meio geológico pode ser corretamente tratada, em especial na presença de anisotropia. Por outro lado, a RTM é dispendiosa computacionalmente e requer o uso de clusters de computadores por parte da indústria. Este artigo apresenta em detalhes uma implementação da RTM para meios transversalmente isotrópicos inclinados (TTI), abordando as principais dificuldades na sua implementação, além dos recursos computacionais exigidos. O algoritmo desenvolvido é aplicado a casos simples e a um benchmark padrão, conhecido como BP TTI 2007.Palavras-chave: diferenças finitas, modelagem numérica de ondas, anisotropia sísmica.


Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. S317-S327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Yu ◽  
Jianhua Geng

Quasi-P (qP)-wave separation and receiver-side records back extrapolation are two key technologies commonly applied in vertical transverse isotropic (VTI) media for ocean-bottom 4C seismic data pseudoacoustic-wave reverse time migration (RTM). However, it remains problematic to quickly and accurately separate the qP-wave in VTI media. The qP-wave can be fast separated by synthesizing pressure in weakly anisotropic media. Like the derivation of acoustic-elastic coupled equations (AECEs) in an isotropic medium, novel AECEs can also be obtained in VTI media. Based on these novel coupled equations, we have developed a method for pseudoacoustic-wave RTM of ocean-bottom 4C seismic data. Three synthetic examples are provided to illustrate the validity and effectiveness of our method. The results indicate that our method possesses three advantages for ocean-bottom 4C data compared with the conventional method when conducting pseudoacoustic-wave RTM in VTI media. First, these new coupled equations are able to obtain a qP-wave during wavefield propagation. Second, ocean-bottom 4C records can be implemented strictly for receiver-side tensorial extrapolation with undulating topography of the seafloor, which brings benefits for suppressing artifacts in pseudoacoustic-wave RTM and improving imaging quality. Finally, our method is fairly robust to coarse sampling.


Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-79
Author(s):  
Ali Fathalian ◽  
Daniel O. Trad ◽  
Kristopher A. Innanen

Anisotropy and absorption are critical to the modeling and analysis of seismic amplitude,phase, and traveltime data. To neglect any of these phenomena, which are often bothoperating simultaneously, degrades the resolution and interpretability of migrated images.However, a full accounting of anisotropy and anelasticity is computationally complex andexpensive. One strategy for accommodating these aspects of wave propagation, while keepingcost and complexity under control, is to do so within an acoustic approximation. Weset up a procedure for solving the time-domain viscoacoustic wave equation for tilted transverselyisotropic (TTI) media, based on a standard linear solid model and, from this, developa viscoacoustic reverse time migration (Q-RTM) algorithm. In this approach, amplitudecompensation occurs within the migration process through a manipulation of attenuationand phase dispersion terms in the time domain differential equations. Specifically, theback-propagation operator is constructed by reversing the sign only of the amplitude lossoperators, but not the dispersion-related operators, a step made possible by reformulatingthe absorptive TTI equations such that the loss and dispersion operators appear separately.The scheme is tested on synthetic examples to examine the capacity of viscoacoustic RTM to correct for attenuation, and the overall stability of the procedure.


Geophysics ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. S265-S284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Ravasi ◽  
Andrew Curtis

A central component of imaging methods is receiver-side wavefield backpropagation or extrapolation in which the wavefield from a physical source scattered at any point in the subsurface is estimated from data recorded by receivers located near or at the Earth’s surface. Elastic reverse-time migration usually accomplishes wavefield extrapolation by simultaneous reversed-time ‘injection’ of the particle displacements (or velocities) recorded at each receiver location into a wavefield modeling code. Here, we formulate an exact integral expression based on reciprocity theory that uses a combination of velocity-stress recordings and quadrupole-dipole backpropagating sources, rather than the commonly used approximate formula involving only particle velocity data and dipole backpropagating sources. The latter approximation results in two types of nonphysical waves in the scattered wavefield estimate: First, each arrival contained in the data is injected upward and downward rather than unidirectionally as in the true time-reversed experiment; second, all injected energy emits compressional and shear propagating modes in the model simulation (e.g., if a recorded P-wave is injected, both P and S propagating waves result). These artifacts vanish if the exact wavefield extrapolation integral is used. Finally, we show that such a formula is suitable for extrapolation of ocean-bottom 4C data: Due to the fluid-solid boundary conditions at the seabed, the data recorded in standard surveys are sufficient to perform backpropagation using the exact equations. Synthetic examples provide numerical evidence of the importance of correcting such errors.


Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. S539-S553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jidong Yang ◽  
Hejun Zhu ◽  
George McMechan ◽  
Houzhu Zhang ◽  
Yang Zhao

Using adjoint-based elastic reverse time migration, it is difficult to produce high-quality reflectivity images due to the limited acquisition apertures, band-limited source time function, and irregular subsurface illumination. Through iteratively computing the Hessian inverse, least-squares migration enables us to reduce the point-spread-function effects and improve the image resolution and amplitude fidelity. By incorporating anisotropy in the 2D elastic wave equation, we have developed an elastic least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) method for multicomponent data from the vertically transversely isotropic (VTI) media. Using the perturbed stiffness parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as PP and PS reflectivities, we linearize the elastic VTI wave equation and obtain a Born modeling (demigration) operator. Then, we use the Lagrange multiplier method to derive the corresponding adjoint wave equation and reflectivity kernels. With linearized forward modeling and adjoint migration operators, we solve a linear inverse problem to estimate the subsurface reflectivity models for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. To reduce the artifacts caused by data over-fitting, we introduce total-variation regularization into the reflectivity inversion, which promotes a sparse solution in terms of the model derivatives. To accelerate the convergence of LSRTM, we use source illumination to approximate the diagonal Hessian and use it as a preconditioner for the misfit gradient. Numerical examples help us determine that our elastic VTI LSRTM method can improve the spatial resolution and amplitude fidelity in comparison to adjoint migration.


Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. A31-A36
Author(s):  
Qizhen Du ◽  
Qiang Zhao ◽  
Qingqing Li ◽  
Liyun Fu ◽  
Qifeng Sun

Methods to decompose the elastic wavefield into compressional wave (P-wave) and shear wave (S-wave) components in heterogeneous media without wavefield distortions or energy leakage are the key issues in elastic imaging and inversion. We have introduced a decoupled P- and S-wave propagator to form an efficient elastic reverse time migration (RTM) framework, without assuming homogeneous Lamé parameters. Also, no wave-mode conversions occur using the proposed propagator in the presence of strong heterogeneities, which avoids the potential imaging artifacts caused by wave-mode conversions in the receiver-side backward extrapolation. In the proposed elastic RTM framework, the source-side forward wavefield is simulated with a P-wave propagator. The receiver-side wavefield is back extrapolated with the proposed propagator, using the recorded multicomponent seismic data as input. Compared to the conventional elastic RTM, the proposed framework reduces the computational complexity while preserving the imaging accuracy. We have determined its accuracy and efficiency using two synthetic examples.


2019 ◽  
Vol 177 (2) ◽  
pp. 961-975
Author(s):  
Pengfei Yu ◽  
Jianhua Geng

Abstract In conventional vector-wave-based elastic reverse-time migration, there are two types of artifacts: low-frequency artifacts and nonphysical artifacts. Vector-decomposition-based acoustic–elastic coupled equations are effective in suppressing nonphysical artifacts by using ocean bottom four component (4C) seismic data for receiver-side tensorial extrapolation. We introduce up/down-going wave separation into the vector-decomposition-based acoustic–elastic coupled equations, and deduce novel analytic acoustic–elastic coupled equations. With these novel equations, we can obtain the source-side and receiver-side up-going and down-going P/S-wave vectors in wavefield propagation, and effectively suppress both of the artifacts in vector-wave-based elastic reverse-time migration by combining receiver-side tensorial extrapolation and the decomposed vector-wave-based imaging conditions. Examples using synthetic data and field data are presented to illustrate the validity and effectiveness of our method.


Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. S383-S398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenlong Wang ◽  
Jiubing Cheng ◽  
Børge Arntsen

Recording P- and S-wave modes acquires more information related to rock properties of the earth’s interior. Elastic migration, as a part of multicomponent seismic data processing, potentially offers a great improvement over conventional acoustic migration to create a spatial image of some medium properties. In the framework of elastic reverse time migration, we have developed new scalar and vector imaging conditions assisted by efficient polarization-based mode decoupling to avoid crosstalk among the different wave modes for isotropic and transversely isotropic media. For the scalar imaging, we corrected polarity reversal of zero-lag PS images using the local angular attributes on the fly of angle-domain imaging. For the vector imaging, we naturally used the polarization information in the decoupled single-mode vector fields to automatically avoid the polarity reversal and to estimate the local angular attributes for angle-domain imaging. Examples of increasing complexity in 2D and 3D cases found that the proposed approaches can be used to obtain a physically interpretable image and angle-domain common-image gather at an acceptable computational cost. Decoupling and imaging the 3D S-waves involves some complexity, which has not been addressed in the literature. For this reason, we also attempted at illustrating the physical contents of the two separated S-wave modes and their contribution to seismic full-wave imaging.


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