Data Acquisition and Pre-Processing Required for Simultaneous P-SV Inversion

Abstract

The goal of seismic reflection surveys is the derivation of petrophysical subsurface parameters from surface measurements. Today’s well established technique in data acquisition, as well as processing terms, is based on the acoustic approximation to the real world’s wave propagation. In recent years a lot of work has been done to extend the technique to the elastic approximation. There was especially an important trend towards elastic inversion techniques operating on plane-wave seis-mograms, called simultaneous P-SV inversion (or short P-SV inversion) within this paper. Being still under investigation, some important aspects of P-SV inversion concerning data acquisition as well as pre-processing, should be pointed out. To fit the assumptions of P-SV inversion schemes, at least a two-dimensional picture of the reflected wavefield with vertical and in-line horizontal receivers has to be recorded. Moreover, the theoretical work done suggests that in addition to a survey with a compres-sional wave source, a second survey should be done using sources radiating vertically polarized shear waves, is needed. Finally, proper slant stacking must be performed to get plane-wave seismograms. The P/S separated plane-wave seismograms are then well prepared for feeding into the inversion algorithms. P/S separated planewave seismograms are then well prepared for feeding into the inversion algorithms. In this paper, a tutorial overview of the data acquisition and pre-processing in accordance with the P-SV inversion philosophy is given and illustrated using synthetic seismograms. A judgement on the feasibility of the P-SV inversion philosophy must be left to ongoing research.