Random noise suppression and super-resolution reconstruction algorithm of seismic profile based on GAN

In this paper, we propose a random noise suppression and super-resolution reconstruction algorithm for seismic profiles based on Generative Adversarial Networks, in anticipation of reducing the influence of random noise and low resolution on seismic profiles. Firstly, the algorithm used the residual learning strategy to construct a de-noising subnet to accurate separate the interference noise on the basis of protecting the effective signal. Furthermore, it iterated the back-projection unit to complete the reconstruction of the high-resolution seismic sections image, while responsed sampling error to enhance the super-resolution performance of the algorithm. For seismic data characteristics, designed the discriminator to be a fully convolutional neural network, used a larger convolution kernels to extract data features and continuously strengthened the supervision of the generator performance optimization during the training process. The results on the synthetic data and the actual data indicated that the algorithm could improve the quality of seismic cross-section, make ideal signal-to-noise ratio and further improve the resolution of the reconstructed cross-sectional image. Besides, the observations of geological structures such as fractures were also clearer.

Chronology of thrust propagation from an updated tectono-sedimentary framework of the Miocene molasse (western Alps)

After more than a century of research, the chronology of the deformation of the external part of the western Alpine belt (France) is still controversial for the Miocene epoch. In particular, the poor dating of the foreland basin sedimentary succession hampers a comprehensive understanding of the deformation kinematics. Here we focus on the Miocene molasse deposits of the northern subalpine massifs, southern Jura, Royans, Bas-Dauphiné, Crest, and La Bresse sedimentary basins through a multidisciplinary approach to build a basin-wide tectono-stratigraphic framework. Based on sequence stratigraphy constrained by biostratigraphical, chemostratigraphical (Sr isotopes), and magnetostratigraphical data between the late Aquitanian (∼ 21 Ma) and the Tortonian (∼ 8.2 Ma), the Miocene molasse chronostratigraphy is revised with a precision of ∼ 0.5 Ma. The Miocene molasse sediments encompass four different paleogeographical domains: (i) the oriental domain outlined by depositional sequences S1a to S3 (∼ 21 to ∼ 15 Ma), (ii) the median domain characterized by sequences S2 to S5 (∼ 17.8 to ∼ 12 Ma), (iii) the occidental domain in which sequences S2a to S8 (∼ 17.8 to ∼ 8.2 Ma) were deposited, and (iv) the Bressan domain where sedimentation is restricted to sequences S6 to S8 (∼ 12 to ∼ 8.2 Ma). A structural and tectono-sedimentary study is conducted based on new field observations and the reappraisal of regional seismic profiles, thereby allowing the identification of five major faults zones (FZs). The oriental, median, and occidental paleogeographical domains are clearly separated by FZ1, FZ2, and FZ3, suggesting strong interactions between tectonics and sedimentation during the Miocene. The evolution in time and space of the paleo-geographical domains within a well-constrained structural framework reveals syntectonic deposits and a westward migration of the depocenters, allowing for proposing the succession of three deformation phases at the western Alpine front. (i) The first is a compressive phase (P1) corresponding to thrusting above the Chartreuse oriental thrust (FZ1), which was likely initiated during the Oligocene and rooted east of Belledonne. This tectonic phase generated reliefs that limited the Miocene transgression to the east. (ii) The second is a ∼ WNW–ESE-directed compressive phase (P2) lasting between 18.05 ± 0.25 Ma and ∼ 12 Ma, with thrusts rooted in the Belledonne basal thrust. Thrusts were activated from east to west: the Salève (SAL) and Gros Foug (GF) thrusts and then successively FZ2, FZ3, FZ4, and FZ5. Along two WNW–ESE balanced cross sections the amount of horizontal shortening is of ∼ 6.3 to 6.7 km, corresponding to average shortening rates of ∼ 1.2 km Myr−1 and migration of the deformation toward the west at a rate of ∼ 2.9 km Myr−1. During ∼ 6 Myr, the Miocene Sea was forced to regress rapidly westwards in response to westward migration of the active thrusts and exhumation of piggyback basins atop the fault zones. Phase P2 thus deeply shaped the Miocene paleogeo-graphical evolution of the area and appears as a prominent compressive phase at the scale of the western Alps from the Swiss molasse basin to the Rhodano–Provencal one. (iii) The third is a ∼ 300 m phase of uplift in the Bas-Dauphiné (P3) of probable Tortonian age (∼ 10 Ma), which would have induced southward sea retreat and been coeval with the folding of the Jura in the north and possibly with back-thrusting east of the Chartreuse massif.

Geoacoustic Estimation of the Seafloor Sound Speed Profile in Deep Passive Margin Setting Using Standard Multichannel Seismic Data

Seafloor geoacoustic properties are important in determining sound propagation in the marine environment, which broadly affects sub-sea activities. However, geoacoustic investigation of the deep seafloor, which is required by the recent expansion of deep-water operations, is challenging. This paper presents a methodology for estimating the seafloor sound speed, c0, and a sub-bottom velocity gradient, K, in a relatively deep-water-compacting (~1000 m) passive-margin setting, based on standard commercial 2D seismic data. Here we study the seafloor of the southeastern Mediterranean margin based on data from three commercial seismic profiles, which were acquired using a 7.2 km-long horizontal receiver array. The estimation applies a geoacoustic inversion of the wide-angle reflections and the travel times of the head waves of bending rays. Under the assumption of a constant positive K, the geoacoustic inversion converges to a unique set of parameters that best satisfy the data. The analysis of 24 measurement locations revealed an increase in the average estimates of c0 from 1537 ± 13 m s−1 to 1613 ± 12 m s−1 for seafloor depths between ~1150 m and ~1350 m. K ranged between 0.75 and 0.85 m s−1 with an average of 0.80 ± 0.035 s−1. The parameters were consistent across the different locations and seismic lines and they match the values that were obtained through depth-migration-velocity analysis and empiric relations, thereby validating our estimation methodology.

Quaternary Coastal Landscape Evolution and Sea-Level Rise: An Example from South-East Sicily

Coastal depositional environments are the site of complex interactions between continental and marine processes. Barrier islands are highly dynamic coastal systems, typical of these transitional environments, and are affected by sea level changes and the accumulation of transgressive deposits with the landwards migration of the coast. The offshore of Marzamemi (Syracuse Province, Sicily), in the south-eastern portion of the Hyblean foreland, represents an excellent site for the study of transgressive deposits and their connection with the sea-level changes. The available dataset consisted of new high-resolution bathymetry (Multibeam), whose description and interpretation through a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was integrated with a grid of eighteen seismic profiles (SPARKER). In the investigated bathymetric range, from about −5 m to −60 m, a sensibly different morphological setting between the northern and southern sectors was evident. Within the whole study area, three bathymetric contours (−45 m, −35 m and −20) were identified and assumed as the markers of the main locations of the paleo-coastlines during the recent changes in the sea level. Along the northern sector, three submerged barrier-lagoon systems developed on a calcarenite substratum, marking important steps of the Late Quaternary sea-level rise. They coexisted with numerous karst forms (poljes and dolines). In the southern sector the transgressive environmental evolution was significantly different and submerged lagoons did not form. Here the outcropping calcarenite substratum was affected by the development of paleo-rivers and karsts structures, a tract in common along with many Mediterranean carbonate coastal areas.

Using Zero-Offset VSP to Identify Interbed Multiples Generators, A Case Study from South Oman

The presence of interbed multiples is a serious concern in surface seismic processing and interpretation. Its impact is huge especially if they are masking the desirable primary reflections such as the targeted reservoirs area. The conventional demultiple methodologies such as stacking, and deconvolution often fail to suppress all the interbed multiples. Therefore, a need for other measurement is crucial to eliminate the remaining ones (Burton and Lines, 1997). There are several approaches, data-driven or model-driven, currently available to predict the interbed multiples. However, they require an accurate identification of the multiple generators (Lesnikov and Owus, 2011). The identification of the origin of these multiples seems to be the most effective solutions to remove them, however it is not an easy task. The allure of Zero Offset Vertical Seismic Profiles (ZOVSPs) in having the receivers placed close to the subsurface horizons, allow both upgoing and downgoing wavefields to be recordable and separable. It's the combination of short window and long window deconvolution operators which are derived based on our knowledge of downgoing wavefield which help us to determine the multiples generators at their exact depths in the subsurface. This paper demonstrates how Zero offset VSP successfully helped to identify the major multiples generators in one of the exploratory fields in south Oman. These generators then used as an input to demultiple technique named as Extended Interbed Multiple Prediction (XIMP) that eliminates the multiples within surface seismic. As the result of the multiple elimination, the seismic to well tie tremendously improved and the reliability of the overall horizon interpretation is enhanced.

Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation Data

The geothermal powerplant of Soultz-sous-Forêts (France) is investigating the possibility of producing more energy with the same infrastructure by reinjecting the geothermal fluid at lower temperatures. Indeed, during the operation of the powerplant, the geothermal fluid is currently reinjected at 60–70 °C in a deep fractured granite reservoir, and the MEET project aims to test its reinjection at 40 °C. A 3D hydrothermal study was performed in order to evaluate the spreading of the thermal front during colder reinjection and its impact on the production temperature. In the first step, a 3D structural model at fault scale was created, integrating pre-existing models from 2D vintage seismic profiles, vertical seismic profiles, seismic cloud structure and borehole image logs calibrated with well data. This geometrical model was then adapted to be able to run hydrothermal simulation. In the third step, a 3D hydrothermal model was built based on the structural model. After calibration, the effect of colder reinjection on the production temperature was calculated. The results show that a decrease of 10 °C in the injection temperature leads to a drop in the production temperature of 2 °C after 2 years, reaching 3 °C after 25 years of operation. Lastly, the accuracy of the structural model on which the simulations are based is discussed and an update of the structural model is proposed in order to better reproduce the observations.

From Siliciclastic to Bioclastic Deposits in the Gulf of Naples: New Highlights from Offshore Ischia and Procida–Pozzuoli Based on Sedimentological and Seismo-Stratigraphic Data

This study discusses the siliciclastic to bioclastic deposits (in particular, the rhodolith deposits) in the Gulf of Naples based on sedimentological and seismo-stratigraphic data. The selected areas are offshore Ischia Island (offshore Casamicciola, Ischia Channel), where a dense network of sea-bottom samples has been collected, coupled with Sparker Multi-tip seismic lines, and offshore Procida–Pozzuoli (Procida Channel), where sea-bottom samples are available, in addition to Sparker seismic profiles. The basic methods applied in this research include sedimentological analysis, processing sedimentological data, and assessing seismo-stratigraphic criteria and techniques. In the Gulf of Naples, and particularly offshore Ischia, bioclastic sedimentation has been controlled by seafloor topography coupled with the oceanographic setting. Wide seismo-stratigraphic units include the bioclastic deposits in their uppermost part. Offshore Procida–Pozzuoli, siliciclastic deposits appear to prevail, coupled with pyroclastic units, and no significant bioclastic or rhodolith deposits have been outlined based on sedimentological and seismo-stratigraphic data. The occurrence of mixed siliciclastic–carbonate depositional systems is highlighted in this section of the Gulf of Naples based on the obtained results, which can be compared with similar systems recognized in the central Tyrrhenian Sea (Pontine Islands).

New data on the stratigraphy of the Paleogene in Solnik area, Eastern Bulgaria

Based on lithostratigraphic reinterpretation of five borehole sections and lithostratigraphic interpretation of two seismic profiles, new data on the Dvoynitsa Formation’s lithology, subdivision and spatial distribution were obtained. The Armera and Gebesh Members were recognized in the area of the villages of Solnik and Bardarevo, as their spatial relationships and distribution are visualized by drawing up of four geological cross-sections.

An Integrated Modeling Scheme For Characterizing 3D Hydrogeological Heterogeneity of The New Jersey Shelf

Continental shelves around the globe are hosts to vast reservoirs of offshore freshened groundwater. These systems show considerable complexity, often as a function of the geological heterogeneity. Data needed to characterise these systems are often sparse, and numerical models rely on generalized simplifications of the geological environment. In order to improve our understanding of these systems, it is necessary to implement modeling approaches that can produce large-scale geologically representative models using sparse data. We present an interdisciplinary stochastic modeling workflow incorporating borehole data, 2D depth-migrated seismic profiles, seismic attributes, and prior knowledge of the depositional setting. We generate a conditioned Gaussian field of porosity on the New Jersey shelf. We also perform a petrophysical conversion to a corresponding permeability distribution. The model dimensions are 134 km x 69 km x 1.7 km, with an adjustable resolution that can be adapted for process-based models of flow and solute transport. The integrated approach successfully translates small-scale porosity variations to a shelf-scale model that honors key characteristics of the New Jersey shelf wave-dominated depositional environment. The model was generated using open-source packages. All data and code to reproduce the complete workflow are provided along with this study so the model can be reproduced at any resolution for further studies of continental shelf processes offshore New Jersey.

Seismic-Scale Evidence of Thrust-Perpendicular Normal Faulting in the Western Outer Carpathians, Poland

Based on the interpretation of 2D seismic profiles integrated with surface geological investigations, a mechanism responsible for the formation of a large scale normal fault zone has been proposed. The fault, here referred to as the Rycerka Fault, has a predominantly normal dip-slip component with the detachment surface located at the base of Carpathian units. The fault developed due to the formation of an anticlinal stack within the Dukla Unit overlain by the Magura Units. Stacking of a relatively narrow duplex led to the growth of a dome-like culmination in the lower unit, i.e., the Dukla Unit, and, as a consequence of differential uplift of the unit above and outside the duplex, the upper unit (the Magura Unit) was subjected to stretching. This process invoked normal faulting along the lateral culmination wall and was facilitated by the regional, syn-thrusting arc–parallel extension. Horizontal movement along the fault plane is a result of tear faulting accommodating a varied rate of advancement of Carpathian units. The time of the fault formation is not well constrained; however, based on superposition criterion, the syn -thrusting origin is anticipated.