A fast-marching eikonal solver for tilted transversely isotropic media

Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. S385-S393
Author(s):  
Umair bin Waheed
Keyword(s):  
Transversely Isotropic ◽  
Fast Marching Method ◽  
Fast Marching ◽  
P Waves ◽  
Eikonal Equations ◽  
Transversely Isotropic Media ◽  
Fast Sweeping ◽  
Fast Marching Algorithm ◽  
Isotropic Media ◽  
And Migration

Fast and accurate traveltime computation for quasi-P waves in anisotropic media is an essential ingredient of many seismic processing and interpretation applications such as Kirchhoff modeling and migration, microseismic source localization, and traveltime tomography. Fast-sweeping methods are widely used for solving the anisotropic eikonal equation due to their flexibility in solving general equations compared to the fast-marching method. However, it has been observed that fast sweeping can be much less efficient than fast marching for models with curved characteristics and practical grid sizes. By representing a tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) equation as a sequence of elliptically isotropic (EI) eikonal equations, we determine that the fast-marching algorithm can be used to compute fast and accurate traveltimes for TTI media. The tilt angle is absorbed into the description of the effective EI model; therefore, the adopted approach does not compromise on the solution accuracy. Through tests on benchmark synthetic models, we test our fast-marching algorithm and discover considerable improvement in accuracy by using factorization and a second-order finite-difference stencil. The adopted methodology opens the door to the possibility of using the fast-marching algorithm for a wider class of anisotropic eikonal equations.

Analytic calculation of phase and group velocities of P-waves in orthorhombic media

Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. C79-C97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Hao ◽  
Alexey Stovas
Keyword(s):  
Transversely Isotropic ◽  
P Wave ◽  
P Waves ◽  
Type Approximation ◽  
Transversely Isotropic Media ◽  
Isotropic Media ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Phase And Group Velocities ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Group Velocities

We have developed an approximate method to calculate the P-wave phase and group velocities for orthorhombic media. Two forms of analytic approximations for P-wave velocities in orthorhombic media were built by analogy with the five-parameter moveout approximation and the four-parameter velocity approximation for transversely isotropic media, respectively. They are called the generalized moveout approximation (GMA)-type approximation and the Fomel approximation, respectively. We have developed approximations for elastic and acoustic orthorhombic media. We have characterized the elastic orthorhombic media in Voigt notation, and we can describe the acoustic orthorhombic media by introducing the modified Alkhalifah’s notation. Our numerical evaluations indicate that the GMA-type and Fomel approximations are accurate for elastic and acoustic orthorhombic media with strong anisotropy, and the GMA-type approximation is comparable with the approximation recently proposed by Sripanich and Fomel. Potential applications of the proposed approximations include forward modeling and migration based on the dispersion relation and the forward traveltime calculation for seismic tomography.

Three-parameter normal moveout correction in layered anisotropic media: A stretch-free approach

Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. C129-C142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mahdi Abedi ◽  
Mohammad Ali Riahi ◽  
Alexey Stovas
Keyword(s):  
Transversely Isotropic ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
P Waves ◽  
Transversely Isotropic Media ◽  
Isotropic Media ◽  
Nmo Correction ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
Normal Moveout Correction ◽  
Vti Media

In conventional normal moveout (NMO) correction, some parts of the recorded data at larger offsets are discarded because of NMO distortions. Deviation from the true traveltime of reflections due to the anisotropy and heterogeneity of the earth, and wavelet stretching are two reasons of these distortions. The magnitudes of both problems increase with increasing the offset to depth ratio. Therefore, to be able to keep larger offsets of shallower reflections, both problems should be obviated. Accordingly, first, we have studied different traveltime approximations being in use, alongside new parameterizations for two classical functional equations, to select suitable equations for NMO correction. We numerically quantify the fitting accuracy and uncertainty of known nonhyperbolic traveltime approximations for P-waves in transversely isotropic media with vertical symmetry axis (VTI). We select three suitable three-parameter approximations for NMO in layered VTI media as the VTI generalized moveout approximation, a double-square-root approximation, and a perturbation-based approximation. Second, we have developed an extension of the earlier proposed stretch-free NMO method, using the selected moveout approximations. This method involves an automatic modification of the input parameters in anisotropic NMO correction, for selected reflections. Our anisotropic stretch-free NMO method is tested on synthetic and three real data sets from Gulf of Mexico and Iranian oil fields. The results verify the success of the method in extending the usable offsets, by generating flat and stretch-free NMO corrected reflections.

scholarly journals An acoustic eikonal equation for attenuating transversely isotropic media with a vertical symmetry axis

Geophysics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. C9-C20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Hao ◽  
Tariq Alkhalifah
Keyword(s):  
Eikonal Equation ◽  
Wave Attenuation ◽  
Transversely Isotropic ◽  
S Wave ◽  
P Waves ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Transversely Isotropic Media ◽  
Isotropic Media ◽  
Vti Media ◽  
Complex Valued

Seismic-wave attenuation is an important component of describing wave propagation. Certain regions, such as gas clouds inside the earth, exert highly localized attenuation. In fact, the anisotropic nature of the earth induces anisotropic attenuation because the quasi P-wave dispersion effect should be profound along the symmetry direction. We have developed a 2D acoustic eikonal equation governing the complex-valued traveltime of quasi P-waves in attenuating, transversely isotropic media with a vertical-symmetry axis (VTI). This equation is derived under the assumption that the complex-valued traveltime of quasi P-waves in attenuating VTI media are independent of the S-wave velocity parameter [Formula: see text] in Thomsen’s notation and the S-wave attenuation coefficient [Formula: see text] in Zhu and Tsvankin’s notation. We combine perturbation theory and Shanks transform to develop practical approximations to the acoustic attenuating eikonal equation, capable of admitting an analytical description of the attenuation in homogeneous media. For a horizontal-attenuating VTI layer, we also derive the nonhyperbolic approximations for the real and imaginary parts of the complex-valued reflection traveltime. These equations reveal that (1) the quasi SV-wave velocity and the corresponding quasi SV-wave attenuation coefficient given as part of Thomsen-type notation barely affect the ray velocity and ray attenuation of quasi P-waves in attenuating VTI media; (2) combining the perturbation method and Shanks transform provides an accurate analytic eikonal solution for homogeneous attenuating VTI media; (3) for a horizontal attenuating VTI layer with weak attenuation, the real part of the complex-valued reflection traveltime may still be described by the existing nonhyperbolic approximations developed for nonattenuating VTI media, and the imaginary part of the complex-valued reflection traveltime still has the shape of nonhyperbolic curves. In addition, we have evaluated the possible extension of the proposed eikonal equation to realistic attenuating media, an alternative perturbation solution to the proposed eikonal equation, and the feasibility of applying the proposed nonhyperbolic equation for the imaginary part of the complex-valued traveltime to invert for interval attenuation parameters.

Computed waveforms in transversely isotropic media

Geophysics ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 771-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. White
Keyword(s):  
Asymptotic Theory ◽  
Transversely Isotropic ◽  
Inversion Method ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Fourier Inversion ◽  
P Waves ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
S Waves ◽  
Transversely Isotropic Media ◽  
Isotropic Media

Radiation of elastic waves from a point force or from a localized torque into a transversely isotropic medium has been formulated in terms of displacement potentials, and transient waveforms have been computed by numerical Fourier inversion. For isotropic sandstone, this procedure yields P‐ and S‐wave pulses whose arrival times and magnitudes agree with theory. For a range of anisotropic rocks, arrival times of quasi‐P‐waves and quasi‐S‐waves agree with asymptotic theory. For extreme anisotropy, some quasi‐S‐wave pulses arrive at times which are not predicted by asymptotic theory. Magnitudes have not been compared with results of asymptotic theory, but decrease with distance appears to be in agreement. This Fourier inversion method gives near‐source changes in waveform which are not obtainable from the asymptotic theory.

A convenient expression for the NMO velocity function in terms of ray parameter

Geophysics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 275-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack K. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Phase Velocity ◽  
Phase Angle ◽  
Transversely Isotropic ◽  
P Waves ◽  
Velocity Function ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Transversely Isotropic Media ◽  
Isotropic Media ◽  
Vti Media ◽  
Ray Parameter

Tsvankin (1995) derived an expression for the normal‐moveout (NMO) velocity from horizontal or dipping reflectors that is valid in symmetry planes of anisotropic media. This equation is written in terms of the phase velocity and its derivatives with respect to the phase angle with vertical. The phase angle, however, is not a seismic observable, while the ray parameter p is. Indeed, Alkhalifah and Tsvankin (1995) pointed out the importance of representing the NMO velocity function as a function of ray parameter and obtained a number of significant results via an indirect use of this variable. Subsequently, Cohen (1997) directly transformed the Tsvankin expression for the moveout velocity obtaining an expression involving the phase velocity expressed as a function of ray parameter. Applying this result to the normal moveout of P-waves in transversely isotropic media with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI media), he was able to get various approximations for the ray‐parameter form of the moveout function and thus give additional analytic insight into the success of the velocity‐analysis methodology Alkhalifah and Tsvankin.

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