Seismic Imaging and Inversion: Volume 2 : Application of Direct Nonlinear Inverse Theory

This book provides the first comprehensive description of the concepts and methods behind direct non-linear seismic migration and inversion. It will be useful for academic researchers and industry practitioners interested in both conventional and fundamentally new and more effective methods of target identification and non-destructive evaluation.

This second volume of Seismic Imaging and Inversion supersedes the first with direct nonlinear inverse theory – where all the assumptions and shortcomings of the linear theory are removed. Chapters follow the processing sequence, including predicting the reference and scattered wavefields; de-ghosting; removing multiples; Q compensation; depth imaging; and direct non-linear inversion of target mechanical properties. Every step in the processing chain is achieved directly without knowing, estimating, or determining any subsurface information, including a velocity model. No other seismic concept or methodology has that capability. Taken together, the two volumes provide researchers and industry practitioners with a solid understanding of current mainstream methods as well as a new and more capable methodology that reduces to conventional methods when the prerequisites and assumptions within those are satisfied. This provides new options in the seismic toolbox that facilitate target identification across a broader set of seismic offshore and onshore plays.