Velocity-independent time-domain seismic imaging using local event slopes

Published as Geophysics, 72, no. 3, S139-S147, (2007)

Velocity-independent time-domain seismic imaging
using local event slopes

Sergey Fomel

Bureau of Economic Geology,
John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences
The University of Texas at Austin
University Station, Box X
Austin, TX 78713-8972

Abstract:

I show that, by estimating local event slopes in prestack seismic reflection data, it is possible to accomplish all common time-domain imaging tasks, from normal moveout to prestack time migration, without the need to estimate seismic velocities or any other attributes. Local slopes contain complete information about the reflection geometry. Once they are estimated, seismic velocities and all other moveout parameters turn into data attributes and are directly mappable from the prestack data domain into the time-migrated image domain. I develop an analytical theory for this method and demonstrate its applicability on synthetic and field data examples.