scholarly journals Internal multiple elimination: Can we trust an acoustic approximation?

Geophysics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-44
Author(s):  
Christian Reinicke ◽  
Marcin Dukalski ◽  
Kees Wapenaar

Correct handling of strong elastic, internal, multiples remains a challenge for seismic imaging. Methods aimed at eliminating them are currently limited by monotonicity violations, a lack of a-priori knowledge about mode conversions, or unavailability of multi-component sources and receivers for not only particle velocities but also the traction vector. Most of these challenges vanish in acoustic media such that Marchenko-equation-based methods are able in theory to remove multiples exactly (within a certain wavenumber-frequency band). In practice, however, when applied to (elastic) field data, mode conversions are unaccounted for. Aiming to support a recently published marine field data study, we build a representative synthetic model. For this setting, we demonstrate that mode conversions can have a substantial impact on the recovered multiple-free reflection response. Nevertheless, the images are significantly improved by acoustic multiple elimination. Moreover, after migration the imprint of elastic effects is considerably weaker and unlikely to alter the seismic interpretation.

Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. T265-T284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joost van der Neut ◽  
Kees Wapenaar

Iterative substitution of the multidimensional Marchenko equation has been introduced recently to integrate internal multiple reflections in the seismic imaging process. In so-called Marchenko imaging, a macro velocity model of the subsurface is required to meet this objective. The model is used to back-propagate the data during the first iteration and to truncate integrals in time during all successive iterations. In case of an erroneous model, the image will be blurred (akin to conventional imaging) and artifacts may arise from inaccurate integral truncations. However, the scheme is still successful in removing artifacts from internal multiple reflections. Inspired by these observations, we rewrote the Marchenko equation, such that it can be applied early in a processing flow, without the need of a macro velocity model. Instead, we have required an estimate of the two-way traveltime surface of a selected horizon in the subsurface. We have introduced an approximation, such that adaptive subtraction can be applied. As a solution, we obtained a new data set, in which all interactions (primaries and multiples) with the part of the medium above the picked horizon had been eliminated. Unlike various other internal multiple elimination algorithms, the method can be applied at any specified target horizon, without having to resolve for internal multiples from shallower horizons. We successfully applied the method on synthetic data, where limitations were reported due to thin layers, diffraction-like discontinuities, and a finite acquisition aperture. A field data test was also performed, in which the kinematics of the predicted updates were demonstrated to match with internal multiples in the recorded data, but it appeared difficult to subtract them.


Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-62
Author(s):  
Myrna Staring ◽  
Marcin Dukalski ◽  
Mikhail Belonosov ◽  
Rolf Baardman ◽  
Jewoo Yoo ◽  
...  

Suppression of surface-related and internal multiples is an outstanding challenge in seismic data processing. The former is particularly difficult in shallow water, whereas the latter is problematic for targets buried under complex, highly scattering overburdens. We propose a two-step, amplitude- and phase-preserving, inversion-based workflow, which addresses these problems. We apply Robust Estimation of Primaries by Sparse Inversion (R-EPSI) to suppress the surface-related multiples and solve for the source wavelet. A significant advantage of the inversion approach of the R-EPSI method is that it does not rely on an adaptive subtraction step that typically limits other de-multiple methods such as SRME. The resulting Green's function is used as input to a Marchenko equation-based approach to predict the complex interference pattern of all overburden-generated internal multiples at once, without a priori subsurface information. In theory, the interbed multiples can be predicted with correct amplitude and phase and, again, no adaptive filters are required. We illustrate this workflow by applying it on an Arabian Gulf field data example. It is crucial that all pre-processing steps are performed in an amplitude preserving way to restrict any impact on the accuracy of the multiple prediction. In practice, some minor inaccuracies in the processing flow may end up as prediction errors that need to be corrected for. Hence, we decided that the use of conservative adaptive filters is necessary to obtain the best results after interbed multiple removal. The obtained results show promising suppression of both surface-related and interbed multiples.


Genome ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Scott A. Tarof ◽  
Steven Crookes ◽  
Kelsey Moxley ◽  
Jeff Hathaway ◽  
Graham Cameron ◽  
...  

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is gaining traction in conservation ecology as a powerful tool for detecting species at risk. We developed a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay to detect a DNA amplicon fragment of the mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide locus of the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) for detecting overwintering individuals. Seventy-eight water samples were collected from 17 wetland sites in Ontario, Canada. We used traditional field data to identify a priori positive and negative control sites. Fifty percent of positive control sites amplified. Detection was related to the number of individuals estimated from field observations in at least one region surveyed. Positive control sites had lower total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity in relation to negative control sites. Shedding rates were within the same order of magnitude for brumating and active turtles. We recommend collecting additional samples at a larger number of locations to maximize detection. Recommended sampling design changes may overshadow the additional effects of water chemistry and low eDNA shedding rates. eDNA offers tremendous potential to practitioners conducting species at risk assessments in environmental consulting by providing a faster, more efficient method of detection compared with traditional surveys.


Geophysics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-47
Author(s):  
Xueyi Jia ◽  
Anatoly Baumstein ◽  
Charlie Jing ◽  
Erik Neumann ◽  
Roel Snieder

Sub-basalt imaging for hydrocarbon exploration faces challenges with the presence of multiple scattering, attenuation and mode-conversion as seismic waves encounter highly heterogeneous and rugose basalt layers. A combination of modern seismic acquisition that can record densely-sampled data, and advanced imaging techniques make imaging through basalt feasible. Yet, the internal multiples, if not properly handled during seismic processing, can be mapped to reservoir layers by conventional imaging methods, misguiding geological interpretation. Traditional internal multiple elimination methods suffer from the requirement of picking horizons of multiple generators and/or a top-down adaptive subtraction process. Marchenko imaging provides an alternative solution to directly remove the artifacts due to internal multiples, without the need of horizon picking or subtraction. In this paper, we present a successful application of direct Marchenko imaging for sub-basalt de-multiple and imaging with an offshore Brazil field dataset. The internal multiples in this example are generated from the seabed and basalt layers, causing severe artifacts in conventional seismic images. We demonstrate that these artifacts are largely suppressed with Marchenko imaging and propose a general work flow for data pre-processing and regularization of marine streamer datasets. We show that horizontally propagating waves can also be reconstructed by the Marchenko method at far offsets.


Author(s):  
M.T. Hadidi ◽  
D.J. Verschuur

Geophysics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. Q1-Q12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Alberto da Costa Filho ◽  
Giovanni Angelo Meles ◽  
Andrew Curtis

Conventional seismic processing aims to create data that contain only primary reflections, whereas real seismic recordings also contain multiples. As such, it is desirable to predict, identify, and attenuate multiples in seismic data. This task is more difficult in elastic (solid) media because mode conversions create families of internal multiples not present in the acoustic case. We have developed a method to predict prestack internal multiples in general elastic media based on the Marchenko method and convolutional interferometry. It can be used to identify multiples directly in prestack data or migrated sections, as well as to attenuate internal multiples by adaptively subtracting them from the original data set. We developed the method on two synthetic data sets, the first composed of horizontal density layers and constant velocities, and the second containing horizontal and vertical density and velocity variations. The full-elastic method is computationally expensive and ideally uses data components that are not usually recorded. We therefore tested an acoustic approximation to the method on the synthetic elastic data from the second model and find that although the spatial resolution of the resulting image is reduced by this approximation, it provides images with relatively fewer artifacts. We conclude that in most cases where cost is a factor and we are willing to sacrifice some resolution, it may be sufficient to apply the acoustic version of this demultiple method.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. T577-T589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitham Hamid ◽  
Adam Pidlisecky

In complex geology, the presence of highly dipping structures can complicate impedance inversion. We have developed a structurally constrained inversion in which a computationally well-behaved objective function is minimized subject to structural constraints. This approach allows the objective function to incorporate structural orientation in the form of dips into our inversion algorithm. Our method involves a multitrace impedance inversion and a rotation of an orthogonal system of derivative operators. Local dips used to constrain the derivative operators were estimated from migrated seismic data. In addition to imposing structural constraints on the inversion model, this algorithm allows for the inclusion of a priori knowledge from boreholes. We investigated this algorithm on a complex synthetic 2D model as well as a seismic field data set. We compared the result obtained with this approach with the results from single trace-based inversion and laterally constrained inversion. The inversion carried out using dip information produces a model that has higher resolution that is more geologically realistic compared with other methods.


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