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

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.

Table of Contents:
1. Overview of volume i and volume ii, the seismic ex- periment; 2. Wave field separation of the reference and scattered fields and green's theorem; 3. Wave field separation for ghost event removal and green's theorem; 4. Wave field prediction and green's theorem; 5. Green's theorem and migration for heterogeneous me-dia; 6. Stolt Claerbout III migration for heterogeneous media; 7. Scattering theory and ISS; 8. Isolated tasks subseries of the inverse scattering series; 9. Isolated task subseries that removes free surface mul-tiples; 10. Isolated task subseries that remove internal multiples; 11. Isolated task subseries that depth image primaries; 12. Isolated task subseries that predict mechanical prop-erty changes at the target; 13. Isolated task subseries that perform Q compensation without knowing, estimating or determining Q; 14. The meaning of linear inversion (coming full circle); 15. Overview of the two volumes and closing comments; References; Index.

About the Author :
Arthur B. Weglein holds the Hugh Roy and Lillie-Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Chair in Physics at the University of Houston. Awards for his work include the Society of Exploration Geophysicists' (SEG's) Distinguished Lecturer 2003; the SEG's Fessenden Award (2010) and the Harris Medal of the City University of New York (2008). In 2016, Weglein received the Maurice Ewing Medal, SEG's highest honor and recognition. Robert H. Stolt is retired following a long and distinguished career at ConocoPhillips. He received the SEG Fessenden Award (1980) for his landmark contribution: f-k migration, SEG Honorary membership in 1998, and the SEG's Maurice Ewing Medal in 2019. He extended his original f-k migration algorithm to provide the only comprehensive method for imaging and inverting specular and non-specular reflectors.