Anisotropic local tomography

Geophysics ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. VE75-VE92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zvi Koren ◽  
Igor Ravve ◽  
Gladys Gonzalez ◽  
Dan Kosloff

Local tomography is interactive, ray-based, residual-interval-parameter analysis for updating background anisotropic velocity parameters. The method operates directly on image gathers generated by anisotropic curved-ray Kirchhoff time migration. A locally 1D, spatially varying, vertical transversely isotropic model is assumed. The background anisotropy parameters are the instantaneous (interval) vertical compression velocity [Formula: see text] and the two Thomsen anisotropy parameters, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The interval velocity [Formula: see text] is updated from short-offset reflection events, and [Formula: see text] is updated from available long-offset data. The medium parameters are updated from the top down both vertically and by layers, one parameter at a time. The picked residual-anisotropy parameters correspond to the residual-moveout (RMO) curves that best fit the migrated reflection events. The method is based on splitting the contribution to the computed RMO at a given point into two parts: from overburden residual parameters and from the actual picked residual parameter. This approach allows for direct residual-interval-parameter analysis to be applied in the same way we perform the commonly used residual-effective-parameter analysis. The local tomography enables a controlled interactive estimation of the long-wavelength anisotropy parameters. The reliable anisotropy parameters estimated by the local approach are used as a background (guiding) model for a global tomography. This makes it possible to successfully apply a global constrained inversion that is performed simultaneously for all parameters of all output intervals using detailed RMO information.

Geophysics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 1933-1935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin M. Sayers

Sedimentary rocks frequently possess an anisotropic structure resulting, for example, from fine scale layering, the presence of oriented microcracks or fractures, or the preferred orientation of nonspherical grains or anisotropic minerals. For many rocks the anisotropy may be described, to a good approximation, as being transversely isotropic. The purpose of this note is to present simplified anisotropy parameters for these rocks that are valid when the P‐wave normal moveout (NMO) and vertical velocities differ by less than 25%. This condition appears reasonable since depths calculated from P‐wave stacking velocities are often within 10% of actual depths (Winterstein, 1986). It is found that when this condition is satisfied the elastic constants [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] affect the P‐wave NMO velocity and anellipticity only through the combination [Formula: see text], a combination of elastic constants that can be determined using walkaway VSP data (Miller et al., 1993). The anellipticity quantifies the deviation of the P‐phase slowness from an ellipse and also determines the difference between the vertical and NMO velocities for SV‐waves. Helbig (1983) has shown that a time‐migrated section for which elliptical anisotropy has been taken into account is identical to one that has been determined under the assumption of isotropy. The anellipticity is therefore the important anisotropy parameter for anisotropic time migration. The results given are of interest for anisotropic velocity analysis, time migration, and time‐to‐depth conversion.


Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. S139-S150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Li ◽  
Ilya Tsvankin ◽  
Tariq Alkhalifah

Extended images obtained from reverse time migration (RTM) contain information about the accuracy of the velocity field and subsurface illumination at different incidence angles. Here, we evaluate the influence of errors in the anisotropy parameters on the shape of the residual moveout (RMO) in P-wave RTM extended images for VTI (transversely isotropic with a vertical symmetry axis) media. Using the actual spatial distribution of the zero-dip NMO velocity ([Formula: see text]), which could be approximately estimated by conventional techniques, we analyze the extended images obtained with distorted fields of the parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Differential semblance optimization (DSO) and stack-power estimates are employed to study the sensitivity of focusing to the anisotropy parameters. We also build angle gathers to facilitate interpretation of the shape of RMO in the extended images. The results show that the signature of [Formula: see text] is dip-dependent, whereas errors in [Formula: see text] cause defocusing only if that parameter is laterally varying. Hence, earlier results regarding the influence of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] on reflection moveout and migration velocity analysis remain generally valid in the extended image space for complex media. The dependence of RMO on errors in the anisotropy parameters provides essential insights for anisotropic wavefield tomography using extended images.


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.


2012 ◽  
Vol 190 (2) ◽  
pp. 1197-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariush Nadri ◽  
Joël Sarout ◽  
Andrej Bóna ◽  
David Dewhurst

Geophysics ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. C37-C42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexey Stovas ◽  
Tariq Alkhalifah

In a transversely isotropic (TI) medium, the trade-off between inhomogeneity and anisotropy can dramatically reduce our capability to estimate anisotropy parameters. By expanding the TI eikonal equation in power series in terms of the aneliptic parameter [Formula: see text], we derive an efficient tool to estimate (scan) for [Formula: see text] in a generally inhomogeneous, elliptically anisotropic background medium. For a homogeneous-tilted transversely isotropic medium, we obtain an analytic nonhyperbolic moveout equation that is accurate for large offsets. In the common case where we do not have well information and it is necessary to resolve the vertical velocity, the background medium can be assumed isotropic, and the traveltime equations becomes simpler. In all cases, the accuracy of this new TI traveltime equation exceeds previously published formulations and demonstrates how [Formula: see text] is better resolved at small offsets when the tilt is large.


Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. R45-R55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Espen Birger Raknes ◽  
Wiktor Weibull

In reverse time migration (RTM) or full-waveform inversion (FWI), forward and reverse time propagating wavefields are crosscorrelated in time to form either the image condition in RTM or the misfit gradient in FWI. The crosscorrelation condition requires both fields to be available at the same time instants. For large-scale 3D problems, it is not possible, in practice, to store snapshots of the wavefields during forward modeling due to extreme storage requirements. We have developed an approximate wavefield reconstruction method that uses particle velocity field recordings on the boundaries to reconstruct the forward wavefields during the computation of the reverse time wavefields. The method is computationally effective and requires less storage than similar methods. We have compared the reconstruction method to a boundary reconstruction method that uses particle velocity and stress fields at the boundaries and to the optimal checkpointing method. We have tested the methods on a 2D vertical transversely isotropic model and a large-scale 3D elastic FWI problem. Our results revealed that there are small differences in the results for the three methods.


Geophysics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-78
Author(s):  
Da Shuai ◽  
Alexey Stovas ◽  
Jianxin Wei ◽  
Bangrang Di ◽  
Yang Zhao

The linear slip theory is gradually being used to characterize seismic anisotropy. If the transversely isotropic medium embeds vertical fractures (VFTI medium), the effective medium becomes orthorhombic. The vertical fractures, in reality, may exist in any azimuth angle which leads the effective medium to be monoclinic. We apply the linear slip theory to create a monoclinic medium by only introducing three more physical meaning parameters: the fracture preferred azimuth angle, the fracture azimuth angle, and the angular standard deviation. First, we summarize the effective compliance of a rock as the sum of the background matrix compliance and the fracture excess compliance. Then, we apply the Bond transformation to rotate the fractures to be azimuth dependent, introduce a Gaussian function to describe the fractures' azimuth distribution assuming that the fractures are statistically distributed around the preferred azimuth angle, and average each fracture excess compliance over azimuth. The numerical examples investigate the influence of the fracture azimuth distribution domain and angular standard deviation on the effective stiffness coefficients, elastic wave velocities, and anisotropy parameters. Our results show that the fracture cluster parameters have a significant influence on the elastic wave velocities. The fracture azimuth distribution domain and angular standard deviation have a bigger influence on the orthorhombic anisotropy parameters in the ( x2, x3) plane than that in the ( x1, x3) plane. The fracture azimuth distribution domain and angular standard deviation have little influence on the monoclinic anisotropy parameters responsible for the P-wave NMO ellipse and have a significant influence on the monoclinic anisotropy parameters responsible for the S1- and S2-wave NMO ellipse. The effective monoclinic can be degenerated into the VFTI medium.


Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. T191-T207
Author(s):  
Xingguo Huang ◽  
Hui Sun ◽  
Zhangqing Sun ◽  
Nuno Vieira da Silva

The complex traveltime solutions of the complex eikonal equation are the basis of inhomogeneous plane-wave seismic imaging methods, such as Gaussian beam migration and tomography. We have developed analytic approximations for the complex traveltime in transversely isotropic media with a titled symmetry axis, which is defined by a Taylor series expansion over the anisotropy parameters. The formulation for the complex traveltime is developed using perturbation theory and the complex point-source method. The real part of the complex traveltime describes the wavefront, and the imaginary part of the complex traveltime describes the decay of the amplitude of waves away from the central ray. We derive the linearized ordinary differential equations for the coefficients of the Taylor-series expansion using perturbation theory. The analytical solutions for the complex traveltimes are determined by applying the complex point-source method to the background traveltime formula and subsequently obtaining the coefficients from the linearized ordinary differential equations. We investigate the influence of the anisotropy parameters and of the initial width of the ray tube on the accuracy of the computed traveltimes. The analytical formulas, as outlined, are efficient methods for the computation of complex traveltimes from the complex eikonal equation. In addition, those formulas are also effective methods for benchmarking approximated solutions.


Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. C229-C237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shibo Xu ◽  
Alexey Stovas

The moveout approximations are commonly used in seismic data processing such as velocity analysis, modeling, and time migration. The anisotropic effect is very obvious for a converted wave when estimating the physical and processing parameters from the real data. To approximate the traveltime in an elastic orthorhombic (ORT) medium, we defined an explicit rational-form approximation for the traveltime of the converted [Formula: see text]-, [Formula: see text]-, and [Formula: see text]-waves. To obtain the expression of the coefficients, the Taylor-series approximation is applied in the corresponding vertical slowness for three pure-wave modes. By using the effective model parameters for [Formula: see text]-, [Formula: see text]-, and [Formula: see text]-waves, the coefficients in the converted-wave traveltime approximation can be represented by the anisotropy parameters defined in the elastic ORT model. The accuracy in the converted-wave traveltime for three ORT models is illustrated in numerical examples. One can see from the results that, for converted [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-waves, our rational-form approximation is very accurate regardless of the tested ORT model. For a converted [Formula: see text]-wave, due to the existence of cusps, triplications, and shear singularities, the error is relatively larger compared with PS-waves.


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