Arthur B. Weglein – författare

Extracting information from seismic data requires knowledge of seismic wave propagation and reflection. The commonly used method involves solving linearly for a reflectivity at every point within the Earth, but this book follows an alternative approach which invokes inverse scattering theory. By developing the theory of seismic imaging from basic principles, the authors relate the different models of seismic propagation, reflection and imaging - thus providing links to reflectivity-based imaging on the one hand and to nonlinear seismic inversion on the other. The comprehensive and physically complete linear imaging foundation developed presents new results at the leading edge of seismic processing for target location and identification. This book serves as a fundamental guide to seismic imaging principles and algorithms and their foundation in inverse scattering theory, and is a valuable resource for working geoscientists, scientific programmers and theoretical physicists.

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.