Describes the use of inverse scattering theory in seismic imaging for seismic processing practitioners and theoretical geophysicists.

For more than 80 years, the oil and gas industry has used seismic methods to construct images and determine physical characteristics of rocks that can yield information about oil and gas bearing structures in the earth. This book presents the different seismic data processing methods, also known as seismic "migration," in a unified mathematical way. The book serves as a bridge between the applied math and geophysics communities by presenting geophysicists with a practical introduction to advanced engineering mathematics, while presenting mathematicians with a window into the world of the mathematically sophisticated geophysicist.

This book describes the theory and practice of inverting seismic data for the subsurface rock properties of the earth. The primary application is for inverting reflection and/or transmission data from engineering or exploration surveys, but the methods described also can be used for earthquake studies. Seismic Inversion will be of benefit to scientists and advanced students in engineering, earth sciences, and physics. It is desirable that the reader has some familiarity with certain aspects of numerical computation, such as finite-difference solutions to partial differential equations, numerical linear algebra, and the basic physics of wave propagation. For those not familiar with the terminology and methods of seismic exploration, a brief introduction is provided. To truly understand the nuances of seismic inversion, we have to actively practice what we preach (or teach). Therefore, computational labs are provided for most of the chapters, and some field data labs are given as well.

This second volume provides a foundation for understanding the vigorous, relevant, and fascinating field of seismic processing, addressing that portion which precedes migration. Written for the non-expert, this second volume of the two-volume introductory text reveals the limitations and potential pitfalls of seismic data, prepares both seismic interpreters and acquisition specialists for working with seismic processing geophysicists, explains seismic processing operations as a series of solutions to problems, and demonstrates the dependence of a final interpretable seismic volume on its many seismic processing decisions. Although seismic processing is inherently mathematical, this text uses numerous illustrations and real data examples, providing an intuitive understanding of the seismic processing procedures and resorting to an algebra-based argument only on rare occasions. The first volume starts with migration. This second volume addresses pre-migration processing. In combination, these two volumes present seismic processing topics in order reverse of a typical processing sequence. Through this reverse ordering, the reader understands an algorithm's input requirements, providing motivation for understanding the preceding algorithm in the processing sequence.

An overview of the current techniques used in the inversion of seismic data is provided. Inversion is defined as mapping the physical structure and properties of the subsurface of the earth using measurements made on the surface, creating a model of the earth using seismic data as input.

Expanding the author's original work on processing to include inversion and interpretation, and including developments in all aspects of conventional processing, this two-volume set is a comprehensive and complete coverage of the modern trends in the seismic industry - from time to depth, from 3D to 4D, from 4D to 4C, and from isotropy to anisotropy.

In the geophysics of oil exploration and reservoir studies, the surface seismic method is the most commonly used method to obtain a subsurface model in 2 or 3 dimensions. This method plays an increasingly important role in soil investigations for geotechnical, hydrogeological and site characterization studies regarding seismic hazard issues. The goal of this book is to provide a practical guide, using examples from the field, to the application of seismic methods to surface imaging. After reviewing the current state of knowledge in seismic wave propagation, refraction and reflection seismic methods, the book aims to describe how seismic tomography and fullwave form inversion methods can be used to obtain seismic images of the subsurface. Through various synthetic and field examples, the book highlights the benefit of combining different sets of data: refracted waves with reflected waves, and body waves with surface waves. With field data targeting shallow structures, it shows how more accurate geophysical models can be obtained by using the proposed hybrid methods. Finally, it shows how the integration of seismic data (3D survey and VSP), logging data (acoustic logging) and core measurements, combined with a succession of specific and advanced processing techniques, enables the development of a 3D high resolution geological model in depth. In addition to these examples, the authors provide readers with guidelines to carry out these operations, in terms of acquisition, as well as processing and interpretation. In each chapter, the reader will find theoretical concepts, practical rules and, above all, actual application examples. For this reason, the book can be used as a text to accompany course lectures or continuing education seminars. This book aims to promote the exchange of information among geologists, geophysicists, and engineers in geotechnical fields.

Written for practicing geophysicists, “Land Seismic Case Studies for Near-Surface Modeling and Subsurface Imaging” is a comprehensive guide to understanding and interpreting seismic data. The culmination of land seismic data acquisition and processing projects conducted by the author over the last two decades, this book contains more than nearly 800 figures from worldwide case studies—conducted in both 2D and 3D. Beginning with Chapter 1 on seismic characterization of the near-surface, Chapter 2 presents near-surface modeling by traveltime and full-wave inversion, Chapter 3 presents near-surface modeling by imaging, and then Chapter 4 includes detailed case studies for near-surface modeling. Chapter 5 reviews single- and multichannel signal processing of land seismic data with the key objective of removing surface waves and guided waves that are characterized as coherent linear noise. Uncommon seismic data acquisition methods, including large-offset acquisition in thrust belts to capture the large-amplitude supercritical reflections, swath-line acquisition, and joint PP and SH- SH seismic imaging are highlighted in Chapter 6, and Chapter 7 presents image-based rms velocity estimation and discusses the problem of velocity uncertainty. The final two chapters focus exclusively on case studies: 2D in Chapter 8 and 3D in Chapter 9. An outstanding teaching tool, this book includes analysis workflows containing processing steps designed to solve specific problems. Essential for anyone involved in acquisition, processing, and inversion of seismic data, this volume will become the definitive reference for understanding how the variables in seismic acquisition are directly reflected in the data.

Introduction to Petroleum Seismology, second edition (SEG Investigations in Geophysics Series No. 12) provides the theoretical and practical foundation for tackling present and future challenges of petroleum seismology especially those related to seismic survey designs, seismic data acquisition, seismic and EM modeling, seismic imaging, microseismicity, and reservoir characterization and monitoring. All of the chapters from the first edition have been improved and/or expanded. In addition, twelve new chapters have been added. These new chapters expand topics which were only alluded to in the first edition: sparsity representation, sparsity and nonlinear optimization, near-simultaneous multiple-shooting acquisition and processing, nonuniform wavefield sampling, automated modeling, elastic-electromagnetic mathematical equivalences, and microseismicity in the context of hydraulic fracturing. Another major modification in this edition is that each chapter contains analytical problems as well as computational problems. These problems include MatLab codes, which may help readers improve their understanding of and intuition about these materials. The comprehensiveness of this book makes it a suitable text for undergraduate and graduate courses that target geophysicists and engineers as well as a guide and reference work for researchers and professionals in academia and in the petroleum industry.

Seismic inversion aims to reconstruct a quantitative model of the Earth subsurface, by solving an inverse problem based on seismic measurements. There are at least three fundamental issues to be solved simultaneously: non-linearity, non-uniqueness, and instability. This book covers the basic theory and techniques used in seismic inversion, corresponding to these three issues, emphasising the physical interpretation of theoretical concepts and practical solutions. This book is written for master and doctoral students who need to understand the mathematical tools and the engineering aspects of the inverse problem needed to obtain geophysically meaningful solutions. Building on the basic theory of linear inverse problems, the methodologies of seismic inversion are explained in detail, including ray-impedance inversion and waveform tomography etc. The application methodologies are categorised into convolutional and wave-equation based groups. This systematic presentation simplifies the subject and enables an in-depth understanding of seismic inversion. This book also provides a practical guide to reservoir geophysicists who are attempting quantitative reservoir characterisation based on seismic data. Philosophically, the seismic inverse problem allows for a range of possible solutions, but the techniques described herein enable geophysicists to exclude models that cannot satisfy the available data. This book summarises the author’s extensive experience in both industry and academia and includes innovative techniques not previously published.