In his classic text Seismic Prospecting for Oil, C. Hewitt Dix remarked that the correlation of one reflection record with another, that is, the interpretation of seismic data, is a procedure that “can hardly be described in words.” First Steps in Seismic Interpretation (Geophysical Monograph Series No. 16) is a book about fundamental concepts and practices of seismic interpretation that attempts to achieve such a description. Intended for beginning interpreters, this book approaches interpretation via synthesis of concepts and practical applications rather than through formal treatment of basic physics and geology. It is based on Don Herron's personal experience as a seismic interpreter and is organized along the lines of notes from interpretation classes that he designed and teaches.
Keywords: amplitude, inversion, attributes, velocity, sonic, anisotropy, migration, resolution, correlation, faults, reflection, interpretation, visualization, 4D, modeling, workstation
This book begins with an introduction that is more philosophical than technical, followed by five chapters on fundamentals of reflection seismic (titled Seismic Response, Seismic Attributes, Velocity, Migration, and Resolution). The gist of what I really have to say about the correlation of seismic records is in Chapters 7 (Correlation Concepts) and 8 (Correlation Procedures). Chapter 9 (Data Quality and Management) certainly should not be glossed over, and Chapter 10 (Other Considerations) contains my thoughts on several worthy topics that do not fit neatly into any of the preceding chapters.
In large part, this book is a compilation of notes from seismic interpretation courses that I've had the good fortune to teach over the past three decades. Because I've assumed that readers are familiar with basic concepts and principles of geology and reflection seismology, the book is best viewed as a synthesis rather than a fundamental treatment of those concepts and principles. When I use the expression “geologically reasonable” to qualify interpretation results, which I do throughout the book, I mean “reasonable” in the sense of “analogous to known geology” or “consistent with known geology or sound geologic models” or “within the context of expectation or realization of some geologic concept or model.”
I certainly don't intend this book to be the definitive primer on interpreting reflection seismic data or a comprehensive treatise on the latest in correlation tools and techniques; rather, I'm seeking to give voice to a concern about “this particular art” that I've had ever since my first foray into interpretation in the early 1970s. My concern is founded on a statement by a man from whom I had the privilege to learn about exploration geophysics in the classroom and in the field. In his own book he wrote that “the correlation procedure itself is of such a nature that it can hardly be adequately described in a book.”
Well, with the utmost respect for that man, here goes.
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