An efficient wave extrapolation method for anisotropic media with tilt

Wavefield extrapolation operators for elliptically anisotropic media offer significant cost reduction compared with that for the transversely isotropic case, particularly when the axis of symmetry exhibits tilt (from the vertical). However, elliptical anisotropy does not provide accurate wavefield representation or imaging for transversely isotropic media. Therefore, we propose effective elliptically anisotropic models that correctly capture the kinematic behaviour of wavefields for transversely isotropic media. Specifically, we compute source‐dependent effective velocities for the elliptic medium using kinematic high‐frequency representation of the transversely isotropic wavefield. The effective model allows us to use cheaper elliptic wave extrapolation operators. Despite the fact that the effective models are obtained by matching kinematics using high‐frequency asymptotic, the resulting wavefield contains most of the critical wavefield components, including frequency dependency and caustics, if present, with reasonable accuracy. The methodology developed here offers a much better cost versus accuracy trade‐off for wavefield computations in transversely isotropic media, particularly for media of low to moderate complexity. In addition, the wavefield solution is free from shear‐wave artefacts as opposed to the conventional finite‐difference‐based transversely isotropic wave extrapolation scheme. We demonstrate these assertions through numerical tests on synthetic tilted transversely isotropic models.     

Anisotropic reverse-time migration for tilted TI media

Seismic anisotropy in dipping shales results in imaging and positioning problems for underlying structures. We develop an anisotropic reverse‐time depth migration approach for P‐wave and SV‐wave seismic data in transversely isotropic (TI) media with a tilted axis of symmetry normal to bedding. Based on an accurate phase velocity formula and dispersion relationships for weak anisotropy, we derive the wave equation for P‐wave and SV‐wave propagation in tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media. The accuracy of the P‐wave equation and the SV‐wave equation is analyzed and compared with other acoustic wave equations for TTI media. Using this analysis and the pseudo‐spectral method, we apply reverse‐time migration to numerical and physical‐model data. According to the comparison between the isotropic and anisotropic migration results, the anisotropic reverse‐time depth migration offers significant improvements in positioning and reflector continuity over those obtained using isotropic algorithms.     

Effective ellipsoidal models for wavefield extrapolation in tilted orthorhombic media

Wavefield computations using the ellipsoidally anisotropic extrapolation operator offer significant cost reduction compared to that for the orthorhombic case, especially when the symmetry planes are tilted and/or rotated. However, ellipsoidal anisotropy does not provide accurate wavefield representation or imaging for media of orthorhombic symmetry. Therefore, we propose the use of ‘effective ellipsoidally anisotropic’ models that correctly capture the kinematic behaviour of wavefields for tilted orthorhombic (TOR) media. We compute effective velocities for the ellipsoidally anisotropic medium using kinematic high-frequency representation of the TOR wavefield, obtained by solving the TOR eikonal equation. The effective model allows us to use the cheaper ellipsoidally anisotropic wave extrapolation operators. Although the effective models are obtained by kinematic matching using high-frequency asymptotic, the resulting wavefield contains most of the critical wavefield components, including frequency dependency and caustics, if present, with reasonable accuracy. The proposed methodology offers a much better cost versus accuracy trade-off for wavefield computations in TOR media, particularly for media of low to moderate anisotropic strength. Furthermore, the computed wavefield solution is free from shear-wave artefacts as opposed to the conventional finite-difference based TOR wave extrapolation scheme. We demonstrate applicability and usefulness of our formulation through numerical tests on synthetic TOR models.     

Prestack exploding reflector modelling and migration for anisotropic media

The double‐square‐root equation is commonly used to image data by downward continuation using one‐way depth extrapolation methods. A two‐way time extrapolation of the double‐square‐root‐derived phase operator allows for up and downgoing wavefields but suffers from an essential singularity for horizontally travelling waves. This singularity is also associated with an anisotropic version of the double‐square‐root extrapolator. Perturbation theory allows us to separate the isotropic contribution, as well as the singularity, from the anisotropic contribution to the operator. As a result, the anisotropic residual operator is free from such singularities and can be applied as a stand alone operator to correct for anisotropy. We can apply the residual anisotropy operator even if the original prestack wavefield was obtained using, for example, reverse‐time migration. The residual correction is also useful for anisotropic parameter estimation. Applications to synthetic data demonstrate the accuracy of the new prestack modelling and migration approach. It also proves useful in approximately imaging the Vertical Transverse Isotropic Marmousi model.     

Pseudo‐spectral method using rotated staggered grid for elastic wave propagation in 3D arbitrary anisotropic media

Staggering grid is a very effective way to reduce the Nyquist errors and to suppress the non‐causal ringing artefacts in the pseudo‐spectral solution of first‐order elastic wave equations. However, the straightforward use of a staggered‐grid pseudo‐spectral method is problematic for simulating wave propagation when the anisotropy level is greater than orthorhombic or when the anisotropic symmetries are not aligned with the computational grids. Inspired by the idea of rotated staggered‐grid finite‐difference method, we propose a modified pseudo‐spectral method for wave propagation in arbitrary anisotropic media. Compared with an existing remedy of staggered‐grid pseudo‐spectral method based on stiffness matrix decomposition and a possible alternative using the Lebedev grids, the rotated staggered‐grid‐based pseudo‐spectral method possesses the best balance between the mitigation of artefacts and efficiency. A 2D example on a transversely isotropic model with tilted symmetry axis verifies its effectiveness to suppress the ringing artefacts. Two 3D examples of increasing anisotropy levels demonstrate that the rotated staggered‐grid‐based pseudo‐spectral method can successfully simulate complex wavefields in such anisotropic formations.     

Pure acoustic wave propagation in transversely isotropic media by the pseudospectral method

Seismic wave propagation in transversely isotropic (TI) media is commonly described by a set of coupled partial differential equations, derived from the acoustic approximation. These equations produce pure P‐wave responses in elliptically anisotropic media but generate undesired shear‐wave components for more general TI anisotropy. Furthermore, these equations suffer from instabilities when the anisotropy parameter ε is less than δ. One solution to both problems is to use pure acoustic anisotropic wave equations, which can produce pure P‐waves without any shear‐wave contaminations in both elliptical and anelliptical TI media. In this paper, we propose a new pure acoustic transversely isotropic wave equation, which can be conveniently solved using the pseudospectral method. Like most other pure acoustic anisotropic wave equations, our equation involves complicated pseudo‐differential operators in space which are difficult to handle using the finite difference method. The advantage of our equation is that all of its model parameters are separable from the spatial differential and pseudo‐differential operators; therefore, the pseudospectral method can be directly applied. We use phase velocity analysis to show that our equation, expressed in a summation form, can be properly truncated to achieve the desired accuracy according to anisotropy strength. This flexibility allows us to save computational time by choosing the right number of summation terms for a given model. We use numerical examples to demonstrate that this new pure acoustic wave equation can produce highly accurate results, completely free from shear‐wave artefacts. This equation can be straightforwardly generalized to tilted TI media.     

High-order kernels for Riemannian wavefield extrapolation

Riemannian wavefield extrapolation is a technique for one‐way extrapolation of acoustic waves. Riemannian wavefield extrapolation generalizes wavefield extrapolation by downward continuation by considering coordinate systems different from conventional Cartesian ones. Coordinate systems can conform with the extrapolated wavefield, with the velocity model or with the acquisition geometry. When coordinate systems conform with the propagated wavefield, extrapolation can be done accurately using low‐order kernels. However, in complex media or in cases where the coordinate systems do not conform with the propagating wavefields, low order kernels are not accurate enough and need to be replaced by more accurate, higher‐order kernels. Since Riemannian wavefield extrapolation is based on factorization of an acoustic wave‐equation, higher‐order kernels can be constructed using methods analogous to the one employed for factorization of the acoustic wave‐equation in Cartesian coordinates. Thus, we can construct space‐domain finite‐differences as well as mixed‐domain techniques for extrapolation. High‐order Riemannian wavefield extrapolation kernels improve the accuracy of extrapolation, particularly when the Riemannian coordinate systems does not closely match the general direction of wave propagation.     

3D Fourier finite-difference migration by alternating-direction-implicit plus interpolation

Conventional two‐way splitting Fourier finite‐difference migration for 3D complex media yields azimuthal anisotropy where an additional phase correction is needed with much increase of computational cost. We incorporate the alternating‐direction‐implicit plus interpolation scheme into the conventional Fourier finite‐difference method to reduce azimuthal anisotropy. This scheme retains the high‐order remnants ignored by the two‐way splitting in the form of a wavefield interpolation in the wavenumber domain. The wavefield interpolation for each step of downward extrapolation is implemented between the wavefields before and after the conventional Fourier finite‐difference extrapolation. As the Fourier finite‐difference migration is implemented in the space and wavenumber dual space, the Fourier transforms between space and wavenumber domain that were needed for the alternating‐direction‐implicit plus interpolation in frequency domain (FD) migration are saved in Fourier finite‐difference migration. Since the azimuth anisotropy in Fourier finite‐difference is much less than that in FD, the application of the alternating‐direction‐implicit plus interpolation scheme in Fourier finite‐difference migration is superior to that in FD migration in handling complex media with large velocity contrasts and steep dips. Impulse responses show that the presented method reduces the azimuthal anisotropy at almost no extra cost.     

轴对称各向异性介质波动方程深度偏移的对称非平稳相移方法

由所建立的三维qP波相速度表示式出发，导出并解析求解各向异性介质中的频散方程，得到三维各向异性介质中的相移算子，进而将以相移算子为基础的对称非平稳相移方法推广到各向异性介质，发展了一个三维各向异性介质的深度偏移方法. 文中使用的各向异性介质的速度模型与现行的各向异性构造的速度估计方法一致，将各向同性、弱各向异性及强各向异性统一在一个模型中. 所建立的各向异性介质对称非平稳相移波场延拓算子可以同时适应速度及各向异性参数横向变化；文中给出的算例虽然是针对二维VTI介质的，但所提出的算法同样适用于三维TI介质.     

Complex frequency-shifted multi-axial perfectly matched layer for frequency-domain seismic wavefield simulation in anisotropic media

Seismic anisotropy has an important influence on seismic data processing and interpretation. Although the frequency-domain seismic wavefield simulation has a problem of solving the large scale linear sparse matrix due to the computational limitations, it has some advantages over the time-domain seismic wavefield simulation including efficient inversion using only a limited number of frequency components and easy implementation of multiple sources. To accurately simulate seismic wave propagation in the frequency domain, we also need to choose the absorbing boundary conditions to absorb artificial reflections from edges of the model as we do in the time domain. Compared with the classical boundary conditions including the perfectly matched layer and complex frequency-shifted perfectly matched layer, the complex frequency-shifted multi-axial perfectly matched layer has been proven to effectively suppress the unwanted reflections at grazing incidence and solve the instability problem in the time-domain seismic numerical modelling in anisotropic elastic media. In this paper, we propose to extend the complex frequency-shifted multi-axial perfectly matched layer absorbing boundary condition to the frequency-domain seismic wavefield simulation in anisotropic elastic media. To test the validity of our proposed algorithm, we compare the results (snapshots and seismograms) of the frequency-domain seismic wavefield simulation with those of the time-domain modelling. The model studies indicate that the complex frequency-shifted multi-axial perfectly matched layer absorbing boundary condition is stable in the frequency-domain seismic wavefield simulation in anisotropic media, and provides better absorbing performance than the complex frequency-shifted perfectly matched layer boundary condition.     

VTI介质角度域转换波高斯束偏移成像方法研究

转换波偏移可以利用纵横波波场信息,得到高分辨率的成像结果,从而为油藏描述提供高质量的地震资料.目前的研究主要是利用纵波波场信息进行偏移成像,然而,传统的纵波方法在复杂探区成像时具有一定的局限性.为此,本文在各向异性介质声波射线追踪算法的基础上,推导出各向异性介质转换波射线追踪方程,发展了一种转换波射线追踪算法;并将研究的追踪算法应用到偏移成像中,提出了一种各向异性VTI介质角度域转换波高斯束偏移成像方法.通过各向异性VTI介质断块模型和复杂构造模型试算,说明了本文方法的正确性和有效性.模型试算的结果表明,在考虑地下各向异性时,本文研究的方法具有更好的成像效果,提取的角道集结果可以为偏移速度分析提供依据.     

Azimuth moveout correction for transversely isotropic media

The azimuth moveout (AMO) operator in homogeneous transversely isotropic media with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI), as in isotropic media, has an overall skewed saddle shape. However, the AMO operator in anisotropic media is complicated; it includes, among other things, triplications at low angles. Even in weaker anisotropies, with the anisotropy parameter η= 0.1 (10% anisotropy), the AMO operator is considerably different from the isotropic operator, although free of triplications. The structure of the operator in VTI media (positive η) is stretched (has a wider aperture) compared with operators in isotropic media, with the amount of stretch being dependent on the strength of anisotropy. If the medium is both vertically inhomogeneous, i.e. the vertical velocity is a function of depth (v(z)), and anisotropic, which is a common combination in practical problems, the shape of the operator again differs from that for isotropic media. However, the difference in the AMO operator between the homogeneous and the v(z) cases, even for anisotropic media, is small. Stated simply, anisotropy influences the shape and aperture of the AMO operator far more than vertical inhomogeneity does.     

Arbitrary-order Taylor series expansion-based viscoacoustic wavefield simulation in 3D vertical transversely isotropic media

Taking the anisotropy of velocity and attenuation into account, we investigate the wavefield simulation of viscoacoustic waves in 3D vertical transversely isotropic attenuating media. The viscoacoustic wave equations with the decoupled amplitude attenuation and phase dispersion are derived from the fractional Laplacian operator and using the acoustic approximation. With respect to the spatially variable fractional Laplacian operator in the formulation, we develop an effective algorithm to realize the viscoacoustic wavefield extrapolation by using the arbitrary-order Taylor series expansion. Based on the approximation, the mixed-domain fractional Laplacian operators are decoupled from the wavenumbers and fractional orders. Thus, the viscoacoustic wave propagation can be conveniently implemented by using a generalized pseudospectral method. In addition, we perform the accuracy and efficiency analyses among first-, second- and third-order Taylor series expansion pseudospectral methods with different quality factors. Considering both the accuracy and computational cost, the second-order Taylor series expansion pseudospectral method can generally satisfy the requirements for most attenuating media. Numerical modelling examples not only illustrate that our decoupled viscoacoustic wave equations can effectively describe the attenuating property of the medium, but also demonstrate the accuracy and the high robustness of our proposed schemes.     

3D TABLE-DRIVEN MIGRATION1

An efficient full 3D wavefield extrapolation technique is presented. The method can be used for any type of subsurface structure and the degree of accuracy and dip-angle performance are user-defined. The extrapolation is performed in the space-frequency domain as a space-dependent spatial convolution with recursive Kirchhoff extrapolation operators. To get a high level of efficiency the operators are optimized such that they have the smallest possible size for a specified accuracy and dip-angle performance. As both accuracy and maximum dip-angle are input parameters for the operator calculation, the method offers the possibility of a trade-off between these quantities and efficiency. The operators are calculated in advance and stored in a table for a range of wavenumbers. Once they have been calculated they can be used many times. At the basis of the operator design is the well-known phase-shift operator. Although this operator is exact for homogeneous media only, it is assumed that it may be applied locally in case of inhomogeneities. Lateral velocity variations can then be handled by choosing the extrapolation operator according to the local value of the velocity. Optionally the operators can be designed such that they act as spatially variant high-cut filters. This means that the evanescent field can be suppressed in one pass with the extrapolation. The extrapolation method can be used both in prestack and post-stack applications. In this paper we use it in zero-offset migration. Tests on 2D and 3D synthetic and 2D real data show the excellent quality of the method. The full 3D result is much better then the result of two-pass migration, which has been applied to the same data. The implementation yields a code that is fully vectorizable, which makes the method very suitable for vector computers.     

三维VTI介质中波动方程深度偏移的最优分裂Fourier方法

从含Thomsen各向异性参数的qP波相速度表示式出发,建立并求解三维VTI介质中的频散方程,得到三维VTI介质中的相移算子,进而将以相移算子为基础的最优分裂Fourier方法推广到三维VTI介质,发展了一个三维VTI介质的深度偏移方法.文中使用的各向异性介质的速度模型与现行的各向异性构造的速度估计方法一致,将各向同性、弱各向异性及强各向异性统一在一个模型中.文中提出的偏移算法对相移法引入了高阶校正项来补偿介质横向变化的影响,使该方法可应用于横向非均匀VTI介质的陡角度成像,文中给出的偏移脉冲响应很好地证明了这一点.     

Wavefield interpolation in 3D large‐step Fourier wavefield extrapolation

Extrapolating wavefields and imaging at each depth during three‐dimensional recursive wave‐equation migration is a time‐consuming endeavor. For efficiency, most commercial techniques extrapolate wavefields through thick slabs followed by wavefield interpolation within each thick slab. In this article, we develop this strategy by associating more efficient interpolators with a Fourier‐transform‐related wavefield extrapolation method. First, we formulate a three‐dimensional first‐order separation‐of‐variables screen propagator for large‐step wavefield extrapolation, which allows for wide‐angle propagations in highly contrasting media. This propagator significantly improves the performance of the split‐step Fourier method in dealing with significant lateral heterogeneities at the cost of only one more fast Fourier transform in each thick slab. We then extend the two‐dimensional Kirchhoff and Born–Kirchhoff local wavefield interpolators to three‐dimensional cases for each slab. The three‐dimensional Kirchhoff interpolator is based on the traditional Kirchhoff formula and applies to moderate lateral velocity variations, whereas the three‐dimensional Born–Kirchhoff interpolator is derived from the Lippmann–Schwinger integral equation under the Born approximation and is adapted to highly laterally varying media. Numerical examples on the three‐dimensional salt model of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists/European Association of Geoscientists demonstrate that three‐dimensional first‐order separation‐of‐variables screen propagator Born–Kirchhoff depth migration using thick‐slab wavefield extrapolation plus thin‐slab interpolation tolerates a considerable depth‐step size of up to 72 ms, eventually resulting in an efficiency improvement of nearly 80% without obvious loss of imaging accuracy. Although the proposed three‐dimensional interpolators are presented with one‐way Fourier extrapolation methods, they can be extended for applications to general migration methods.     

Modelling of viscoacoustic wave propagation in transversely isotropic media using decoupled fractional Laplacians

A new wave equation is derived for modelling viscoacoustic wave propagation in transversely isotropic media under acoustic transverse isotropy approximation. The formulas expressed by fractional Laplacian operators can well model the constant-Q (i.e. frequency-independent quality factor) attenuation, anisotropic attenuation, decoupled amplitude loss and velocity dispersion behaviours. The proposed viscoacoustic anisotropic equation can keep consistent velocity and attenuation anisotropy effects with that of qP-wave in the constant-Q viscoelastic anisotropic theory. For numerical simulations, the staggered-grid pseudo-spectral method is implemented to solve the velocity–stress formulation of wave equation in the time domain. The constant fractional-order Laplacian approximation method is used to cope with spatial variable-order fractional Laplacians for efficient modelling in heterogeneous velocity and Q media. Simulation results for a homogeneous model show the decoupling of velocity dispersion and amplitude loss effects of the constant-Q equation, and illustrate the influence of anisotropic attenuation on seismic wavefields. The modelling example of a layered model illustrates the accuracy of the constant fractional-order Laplacian approximation method. Finally, the Hess vertical transversely isotropic model is used to validate the applicability of the formulation and algorithm for heterogeneous media.     

求解二阶解耦弹性波方程的低秩分解法和低秩有限差分法

时间域的波场延拓方法在本质上都可以归结为对一个空间-波数域算子的近似.本文基于一阶波数-空间混合域象征,提出一种新的方法求解解耦的二阶位移弹性波方程.该方法采用交错网格,连续使用两次一阶前向和后向拟微分算子,推导得到了解耦的二阶位移弹性波方程的波场延拓算子.由于该混合域象征在伪谱算子的基础上增加了一个依赖于速度模型的补偿项,可以补偿由于采用二阶中心差分计算时间微分项带来的误差,有效地减少模拟结果的数值频散,提高模拟精度.然而,在非均匀介质中,直接计算该二阶的波场延拓算子,每一个时间步上需要做N次快速傅里叶逆变换,其中N是总的网格点数.为了减少计算量,提出了交错网格低秩分解方法;针对常规有限差分数值频散问题,本文将交错网格低秩方法与有限差分法结合,提出了交错网格低秩有限差分法.数值结果表明,交错网格低秩方法和交错网格低秩有限差分法具有较高的精度,对于复杂介质的地震波数值模拟和偏移成像具有重要的价值.     

Source–receiver two‐way wave extrapolation for prestack exploding‐reflector modelling and migration

Most modern seismic imaging methods separate input data into parts (shot gathers). We develop a formulation that is able to incorporate all available data at once while numerically propagating the recorded multidimensional wavefield forward or backward in time. This approach has the potential for generating accurate images free of artiefacts associated with conventional approaches. We derive novel high‐order partial differential equations in the source–receiver time domain. The fourth‐order nature of the extrapolation in time leads to four solutions, two of which correspond to the incoming and outgoing P‐waves and reduce to the zero‐offset exploding‐reflector solutions when the source coincides with the receiver. A challenge for implementing two‐way time extrapolation is an essential singularity for horizontally travelling waves. This singularity can be avoided by limiting the range of wavenumbers treated in a spectral‐based extrapolation. Using spectral methods based on the low‐rank approximation of the propagation symbol, we extrapolate only the desired solutions in an accurate and efficient manner with reduced dispersion artiefacts. Applications to synthetic data demonstrate the accuracy of the new prestack modelling and migration approach.