This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue without changing your settings, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy. You can disable cookies at any time.

×
Working from home? See options for remote access to institutionally subscribed content.
Advanced search
Skip main navigation
Close Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu

Previous
Next
No AccessGEOPHYSICSVolume 84, Issue 6

Improving the least-squares image by using angle information to avoid cycle skipping

Authors:
https://doi.org/10.1190/geo2018-0816.1
Full Text
Other Formats
PDF/EPUB
Tools

Abstract

In the past few decades, the least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) algorithm has been widely used to enhance images of complex subsurface structures by minimizing the data misfit function between the predicted and observed seismic data. However, this algorithm is sensitive to the accuracy of the migration velocity model, which, in the case of real data applications (generally obtained via tomography), always deviates from the true velocity model. Therefore, conventional LSRTM faces a cycle-skipping problem caused by a smeared image when using an inaccurate migration velocity model. To address the cycle-skipping problem, we have introduced an angle-domain LSRTM algorithm. Unlike the conventional LSRTM algorithm, our method updates the common source-propagation angle image gathers rather than the stacked image. An extended Born modeling operator in the common source-propagation angle domain is was derived, which reproduced kinematically accurate data in the presence of velocity errors. Our method can provide more focused images with high resolution as well as angle-domain common-image gathers (ADCIGs) with enhanced resolution and balanced amplitudes. However, because the velocity model is not updated, the provided image can have errors in depth. Synthetic and field examples are used to verify that our method can robustly improve the quality of the ADCIGs and the finally stacked images with affordable computational costs in the presence of velocity errors.

REFERENCES

  • Alkhalifah, T., 2015, Scattering-angle based filtering of the waveform inversion gradients: Geophysical Journal International, 200, 363–373, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggu379.GJINEA0956-540XCrossrefWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Baysal, E., D. Kosloff, and W. Sherwood, 1983, Reverse time migration: Geophysics, 48, 1514–1524, doi: 10.1190/1.1441434.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Biondi, B., and W. Symes, 2004, Angle-domain common-image gathers for migration velocity analysis by wavefield-continuation imaging: Geophysics, 69, 1283–1298, doi: 10.1190/1.1801945.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Chattopadhyay, S., and G. A. McMechan, 2008, Imaging conditions for prestack reverse-time migration: Geophysics, 73, no. 3, S81–S89, doi: 10.1190/1.2903822.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Chauris, H., M. S. Noble, G. Lambaré, and P. Podvin, 2002, Migration velocity analysis from locally coherent events in 2-D laterally heterogeneous media — Part 1: Theoretical aspects: Geophysics, 67, 1202–1212, doi: 10.1190/1.1500382.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Claerbout, J. F., 1992, Earth soundings analysis: Processing versus inversion, 1st ed.: Blackwell Scientific Publications 1.Google Scholar
  • Dai, W., P. Fowler, and G. T. Schuster, 2012, Multi-source least-squares reverse time migration: Geophysical Prospecting, 60, 681–695, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2478.2012.01092.x.GPPRAR0016-8025CrossrefWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Dai, W., and G. T. Schuster, 2013, Plane-wave least-squares reverse-time migration: Geophysics, 78, no. 4, S165–S177, doi: 10.1190/geo2012-0377.1.AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Dong, S., J. Cai, M. Guo, S. Suh, Z. Zhang, B. Wang, and Z. Li, 2012, Least-squares reverse time migration: Towards true amplitude imaging and improving the resolution: 82nd Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, doi: 10.1190/segam2012-1488.1.Google Scholar
  • Duquet, B., K. J. Marfurt, and J. A. Dellinger, 2000, Kirchhoff modeling, inversion for reflectivity, and subsurface illumination: Geophysics, 65, 1195–1209, doi: 10.1190/1.1444812.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Dutta, G., and G. T. Schuster, 2014, Attenuation compensation for least-squares reverse time migration using the viscoacoustic-wave equation: Geophysics, 79, no. 6, S251–S262, doi: 10.1190/geo2013-0414.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Fomel, S., J. G. Berryman, R. G. Clapp, and M. Prucha, 2002, Iterative resolution estimation in least-squares Kirchhoff migration: Geophysical Prospecting, 50, 577–588, doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2478.2002.00341.x.GPPRAR0016-8025CrossrefWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Hu, J., H. Wang, and X. Wang, 2016a, Angle gathers from reverse time migration using analytic wavefield propagation and decomposition in the time domain: Geophysics, 81, no. 1, S1–S9, doi: 10.1190/geo2015-0050.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Hu, J., H. Wang, and X. Wang, 2016b, Angle gathers from reverse time migration using analytic wavefield propagation and decomposition in the time domain: Geophysics, 81, no. 1, S1–S9, doi: 10.1190/geo2015-0050.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Huang, T., Y. Zhang, H. Zhang, and J. Young, 2009, Subsalt imaging using TTI reverse time migration: The Leading Edge, 28, 448–452, doi: 10.1190/1.3112763.AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Jin, S., and R. Madariaga, 1993, Background velocity inversion with a genetic algorithm: Geophysical Research Letters, 20, 93–96, doi: 10.1029/92GL02781.GPRLAJ0094-8276CrossrefWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Kaplan, S. T., P. S. Routh, and M. D. Sacchi, 2010, Derivation of forward and adjoint operators for least-squares shot-profile split-step migration: Geophysics, 75, no. 6, S225–S235, doi: 10.1190/1.3506146.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Kühl, H., and M. D. Sacchi, 2003, Least-squares wave-equation migration for AVP/AVA inversion: Geophysics, 68, 262–273, doi: 10.1190/1.1543212.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Lambaré, G., J. Virieux, R. Madariaga, and S. Jin, 1992, Iterative asymptotic inversion in the acoustic approximation: Geophysics, 57, 1138–1154, doi: 10.1190/1.1443328.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Liu, X., and Y. Liu, 2018, Plane-wave domain least-squares reverse time migration with free-surface multiples: Geophysics, 83, no. 6, S477–S487, doi: 10.1190/geo2017-0570.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Liu, X., Y. Liu, and M. Khan, 2018, Fast least-squares reverse time migration of VSP free-surface multiples with dynamic phase-encoding schemes: Geophysics, 83, no. 4, S321–S332, doi: 10.1190/geo2017-0419.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Liu, X., Y. Liu, H. Lu, H. Hu, and M. Khan, 2017, Prestack correlative least-squares reverse time migration: Geophysics, 82, no. 2, S159–S172, doi: 10.1190/geo2016-0416.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Liu, Y., X. Liu, A. Osen, Y. Shao, H. Hu, and Y. Zheng, 2016a, Least-squares reverse time migration using controlled-order multiple reflections: Geophysics, 81, no. 6, S347–S357, doi: 10.1190/geo2015-0479.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Liu, Y., H. Sun, and X. Chang, 2005, Least-squares wavepath migration: Geophysical Prospecting, 53, 811–816, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2478.2005.00505.x.GPPRAR0016-8025CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Liu, Y., J. Teng, T. Xu, Z. Bai, H. Lan, and J. Badal, 2016b, An efficient step-length formula for correlative least-squares reverse time migration: Geophysics, 81, no. 4, S221–S238, doi: 10.1190/geo2015-0529.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Liu, Z., and N. Bleistein, 1995, Migration velocity analysis: Theory and an iterative algorithm: Geophysics, 60, 142–153, doi: 10.1190/1.1443741.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Luo, S., and D. Hale, 2014, Least-squares migration in the presence of velocity errors: Geophysics, 79, no. 4, S153–S161, doi: 10.1190/geo2013-0374.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • McMechan, G. A. 1983, Migration by extrapolation of time-dependent boundary values: Geophysical Prospecting, 31, 413–420, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2478.1983.tb01060.x.GPPRAR0016-8025CrossrefWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Nemeth, T., C. Wu, and G. T. Schuster, 1999, Least-squares migration of incomplete reflection data: Geophysics, 64, 208–221, doi: 10.1190/1.1444517.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Pica, A., J. P. Diet, and A. Tarantola, 1990, Nonlinear inversion of seismic reflection data in a laterally invariant medium: Geophysics, 55, 284–292, doi: 10.1190/1.1442836.AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Plessix, R. E., 2006, A review of the adjoint-state method for computing the gradient of a functional with geophysical applications: Geophysical Journal International, 167, 495–503.CrossrefWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Ren, H., R. S. Wu, and H. Wang, 2011, Wave equation least square imaging using the local angular Hessian for amplitude correction: Geophysical Prospecting, 59, 651–661, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2478.2011.00947.x.GPPRAR0016-8025CrossrefWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Rickett, J. E., and P. C. Sava, 2002, Offset and angle-domain common image-point gathers for shot-profile migration: Geophysics, 67, 883–889, doi: 10.1190/1.1484531.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Sava, P., and S. Fomel, 2003, Angle-domain common-image gathers by wavefield continuation methods: Geophysics, 68, 1065–1074, doi: 10.1190/1.1581078.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Sava, P., and S. Fomel, 2006, Time-shift imaging condition in seismic migration: Geophysics, 71, no. 6, S209–S217, doi: 10.1190/1.2338824.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Schuster, G. T., 1993, Least-squares cross-well migration: 63rd Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 110–113, doi: 10.1190/1.1822308.Google Scholar
  • Snieder, R., M. Xie, A. Tarantola, and A. Pica, 1989, Retrieving both the impedance contrast and the background velocity: A global strategy for the seismic reflection problem: Geophysics, 54, 991–1000, doi: 10.1190/1.1442742.AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Symes, W. W., 1993, A differential semblance criterion for inversion of multioffset seismic reflection data: Journal of Geophysical Research, 98, 2601–2073, doi: 10.1029/92JB01304.JGREA20148-0227CrossrefWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Tang, C., and G. A. McMechan, 2016, Multidirectional slowness vector for computing angle gathers from reverse time migration: Geophysics, 81, no. 2, S55–S68, doi: 10.1190/geo2015-0134.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Tang, C., and G. A. McMechan, 2018, The dynamically correct Poynting vector formulation for acoustic media with application in calculating multidirectional propagation vectors to produce angle: Geophysics, 83, no. 4, S365–S374, doi: 10.1190/geo2017-0331.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Trad, D., 2015, Least-squares Kirchhoff depth migration: Implementation, challenges, and opportunities: 85th Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 4238–4242, doi: 10.1190/segam2015-5833655.1.Google Scholar
  • Virieux, J., and S. Operto, 2009, An overview of full-waveform inversion in exploration geophysics: Geophysics, 74, no. 4, WCC1–WCC26, doi: 10.1190/1.3238367.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Wang, M., S. Xu, and S. G. Services, 2017, Least-squares reverse time migration with inaccurate velocity model: 87th Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 4405–4410, doi: 10.1190/segam2017-17678715.1.Google Scholar
  • Wang, X., X. Chen, Z. Zhen, Y. Jiang, and C. Zhang, 2013, The least-squares pre-stack Fourier finite-difference migration: 83rd Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 3926–3930, doi: 10.1190/segam20130452.1.Google Scholar
  • Wong, M., B. Biondi, and S. Ronen, 2015, Imaging with primaries and free surface multiples by joint least-squares reverse time migration: Geophysics, 80, no. 4, S223–S235, doi: 10.1190/geo2015-0093.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Wong, M., S. Ronen, and B. Biondi, 2011, Least-squares reverse time migration/inversion for ocean bottom data: A case study: 81st Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 2369–2373, doi: 10.1190/1.3627684.Google Scholar
  • Xie, X. B., and R. S. Wu, 2002, Extracting angle domain information from migrated wavefields: 72nd Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 1360–1363, doi: 10.1190/1.1816910.Google Scholar
  • Xu, S., H. Chauris, G. Lambaré, and M. Noble, 2001, Common-angle migration: A strategy for imaging complex media: Geophysics, 60, 1877–1894, doi: 10.1190/1.1487131.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Xu, S., F. Chen, B. Tang, and G. Lambare, 2014, Noise removal by migration of time-shift images: Geophysics, 79, no. 3, S105–S111, doi: 10.1190/geo2012-0497.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Xu, S., Y. Zhang, and B. Tang, 2011, 3D angle gathers from reverse time migration: Geophysics, 76, no. 2, S77–S92, doi: 10.1190/1.3536527.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Yan, J., and T. A. Dickens, 2016, Reverse time migration angle gathers using Poynting vectors: Geophysics, 81, no. 6, S511–S522, doi: 10.1190/GEO2015-0703.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Yan, R., and X.-B. Xie, 2012, An angle-domain imaging condition for elastic reverse time migration and its application to angle gather extraction: Geophysics, 77, no. 5, S105–S115, doi: 10.1190/geo2011-0455.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Yan, Z., and X.-B. Xie, 2016, Full-wave seismic illumination and resolution analyses: A Poynting-vector-based method: Geophysics, 81, no. 6, S447–S458, doi: 10.1190/geo2016-0003.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Yoon, K., M. Guo, J. Cai, and B. Wang, 2011, 3D RTM angle gathers from source wave propagation direction and dip of reflector: 81st Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 3136–3140, doi: 10.1190/1.3627847.Google Scholar
  • Yoon, K., S. Suh, J. Cai, and B. Wang, 2012, Improvements in time domain FWI and its applications: 82nd Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, doi: 10.1190/segam2012-1535.1.Google Scholar
  • Zhang, Q., 2014, RTM angle gathers and specular filter (SF) RTM using optical flow: 84th Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 3816–3820, doi: 10.1190/segam2014-0792.1.Google Scholar
  • Zhang, Q., and B. Du, 2016, Multi-scale and iterative refinement optical flow (MSIROF) for seismic image registration and gather flattening using multi-dimensional shifts: 86th Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 5468–5472, doi: 10.1190/segam2016-13954927.1.Google Scholar
  • Zhang, Q., and G. A. McMechan, 2011a, Angle domain common image gathers extracted from reverse time migrated images in isotropic acoustic and elastic media: 81st Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 3130–3135, doi: 10.1190/1.3627846.Google Scholar
  • Zhang, Q., and G. A. McMechan, 2011b, Direct vector-field method to obtain angle-domain common-image gathers for isotropic acoustic and elastic reverse-time migration: Geophysics, 76, no. 5, WB135–WB149, doi: 10.1190/geo2010-0314.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Zhang, Y., L. Duan, and Y. Xie, 2015, A stable and practical implementation of least-squares reverse time migration: Geophysics, 80, no. 1, V23–V31, doi: 10.1190/geo2013-0461.1.GPYSA70016-8033AbstractWeb of ScienceGoogle Scholar
  • Zhang, Y., and J. Sun, 2009, Practical issues of reverse time migration: True amplitude gathers, noise removal and harmonic-source encoding: First Break, 27, 53–59, doi: 10.3997/1365-2397.2009002.CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • Zhang, Y., S. Xu, B. Tang, B. Bai, Y. Huang, and T. Huang, 2010, Angle gathers from reverse-time migration: The Leading Edge, 29, 1364–1371, doi: 10.1190/1.3517308.AbstractGoogle Scholar
  • Zhou, H., S. H. Gray, J. Young, D. Pham, and Y. Zhang, 2003, Tomographic residual curvature analysis: The process and its components: 73rd Annual International Meeting, SEG, Expanded Abstracts, 666–669, doi: 10.1190/1.1818018.Google Scholar