SEISMIC REFRACTION AND SCREENING BY THIN HIGH-VELOCITY LAYERS *

The screening effect of thin, relatively shallow high-velocity layers often presents considerable problems in seismic exploration. Such layers prevent the greater part of the seismic energy from travelling to greater depths and introduce additional refraction arrivals, confusing the seismogram still further. In order to investigate both the screening and refractive properties of high-velocity layers, scale-model experiments have been made over a wide range of layer-thickness/ wavelength ratios (0.05 < d/λ < 2) for suitably chosen material contrasts. The results may be summarised as follows. Refraction arrivals from thin layers in the field may be recognised by their relatively rapid amplitude decay. Furthermore, the “echeloning”-effect observed for refraction first arrivals may be due to the presence of a (thin) layered structure. Since the apparent refraction velocity varies with d/λ when d/λ < 1, differences between vertical well-log velocities and velocities observed along the surface may be expected, making time/depth conversion using surface velocity data inaccurate. Transmission of elastic energy may be expected, if anywhere, only near the shotpoint, at small geophone offset, and for relatively thin screens (d/λ < 0.1). The transmitted signal shape is then independent of the layer thickness. This transmitted energy may be registered either in a reflection set-up with geophones near the shotpoint, or in long-distance refraction work. Three possibilities are offered for overcoming the screening effect of thin high-velocity layers: Use longer-wavelength signals Apply short-spread reflection shooting Apply long-distance refraction shooting The experimental results obtained in scale-model arrangements of such set-ups confirm the potentialities of these methods.     

THE INTERPRETATION OF TRAVELTIME FIELDS IN REFRACTION SEISMOLOGY*

We consider multiply covered traveltimes of first or later arrivals which are gathered along a refraction seismic profile. The two-dimensional distribution of these traveltimes above a coordinate frame generated by the shotpoint axis and the geophone axis or by the common midpoint axis and the offset axis is named a traveltime field. The application of the principle of reciprocity to the traveltime field implies that for each traveltime value with a negative offset there is a corresponding equal value with positive offset. In appendix A procedures are demonstrated which minimize the observational errors of traveltimes inherent in particular traveltime branches or complete common shotpoint sections. The application of the principle of parallelism to an area of the traveltime field associated with a particular refractor can be formulated as a partial differential equation corresponding to the type of the vibrating string. The solution of this equation signifies that the two-dimensional distribution of these traveltimes may be generated by the sum of two one-dimensional functions which depend on the shotpoint coordinate and the geophone coordinate. Physically, these two functions may be interpreted as the mean traveltime branches of the reverse and the normal shot. In appendix B procedures are described which compute these two functions from real traveltime observations by a least-squares fit. The application of these regressed traveltime field data to known time-to-depth conversion methods is straightforward and more accurate and flexible than the use of individual traveltime branches. The wavefront method, the plus-minus method, the generalized reciprocal method and a ray tracing method are considered in detail. A field example demonstrates the adjustment of regressed traveltime fields to observed traveltime data. A time-to-depth conversion is also demonstrated applying a ray tracing method.     

SHEAR WAVES BY AN EXPLOSIVE POINT-SOURCE: THE EARTH SURFACE AS A GENERATOR OF CONVERTED P-S WAVES*

The most common source of seismic energy is an explosion at some depth in a borehole. The radiated waves are reflected not only at the subsurface layers but also at the free surface. The earth's surface acts as a generator of both P- and S-waves. If the source depth is much less than the dominant wavelength the reflected waves resemble closely the waves generated by a single force. Theoretical seismograms were computed with different methods to look for the relevance of the surface-reflected waves. The numerical experiments show reflected shear waves even for small shotpoint—receiver distances. Due to their polarization these waves can be detected most easily on in-line horizontal geophones. The existence of these waves was examined during a conventional survey in Northern Germany. Conventional data analysis shows a large variability in the ν_p/ν_s ratio. The method used here produced a shear-wave section with a rather good signal-to-noise ratio down to 4 s S-wave reflection time.     

ESTIMATION OF REFLECTOR PARAMETERS BY THE VIRTUAL IMAGE TECHNIQUE*

The seismic interpretation process generally exploits three of the following independent basic assumptions:

• 1 Input quantities are obtained by simplification of measured data (travel time curves).
• 2 2. The geological model contains only a few parameters (for example, plane interfaces and constant interval velocities).
• 3 3. Approximate transformations may be applied.

The first two are related to the simplification of the phenomena and enhance their essential features. The transformation which establishes relations between simplified data and model is required to be unique, stable, and sufficiently accurate. Practically, the travel time curves are almost exclusively regarded as hyperbolas. We also accept this approximation. The paper presents a simple recursive algorithm for the evaluation of the depth and dip of plane reflectors and the interval velocities. It is a simple fact, that there exists a unique relationship between three hyperbolic parameters and a homogeneous dipping layer. Accordingly, two layers can be replaced by a single layer and the parameters of the lower boundary can be estimated when the upper one is known, initiating virtual shotpoints and geophone points (virtual surface). So, the case of multilayered media can be reduced in sequential steps to the case of a single homogeneous layer using a stripping type procedure. Some synthetic model examples are provided to demonstrate the abilities of the algorithm.     

Passive seismic data primary estimation and noise removal via focal‐denoising closed‐loop surface‐related multiple elimination based on 3D L1‐norm sparse inversion

Passive seismic has recently attracted a great deal of attention because non‐artificial source is used in subsurface imaging. The utilization of passive source is low cost compared with artificial‐source exploration. In general, constructing virtual shot gathers by using cross‐correlation is a preliminary step in passive seismic data processing, which provides the basis for applying conventional seismic processing methods. However, the subsurface structure is not uniformly illuminated by passive sources, which leads to that the ray path of passive seismic does not fit the hyperbolic hypothesis. Thereby, travel time is incorrect in the virtual shot gathers. Besides, the cross‐correlation results are contaminated by incoherent noise since the passive sources are always natural. Such noise is kinematically similar to seismic events and challenging to be attenuated, which will inevitably reduce the accuracy in the subsequent process. Although primary estimation for transient‐source seismic data has already been proposed, it is not feasible to noise‐source seismic data due to the incoherent noise. To overcome the above problems, we proposed to combine focal transform and local similarity into a highly integrated operator and then added it into the closed‐loop surface‐related multiple elimination based on the 3D L1‐norm sparse inversion framework. Results proved that the method was capable of reliably estimating noise‐free primaries and correcting travel time at far offsets for a foresaid virtual shot gathers in a simultaneous closed‐loop inversion manner.     

Acquisition and processing of high-resolution reflection seismic data from a survey within the complex terrain of the Bavarian Folded Molasse

A high‐resolution reflection seismic survey was carried out in the southern part of the Bavarian Molasse Basin in 1998 and 1999. The survey aimed to investigate the near‐surface structure of the complicated transition from the unfolded Foreland Molasse to the Folded Molasse, and the Folded Molasse to the internally complicated thrust systems of the Helveticum, the Ultrahelveticum and the Rhenodanubian Flysch. The study is linked to the TRANSALP seismic project, and the results help to fill the gap between the surface and the upper 300–500 ms two‐way traveltime (TWT), typical of deep‐reflection seismic experiments. The environmental conditions encountered in the study area required that particular attention be paid to the acquisition parameters for the three seismic lines (each about 4 km long). The energy source was a small vibrator; the geophone spread, spacing and frequency range were adjusted to image reflectors, which were expected to dip steeply southwards. In general, the unprocessed field records did not show signals that could be attributed to specific reflectors. Individual trace processing considerably improved the data quality, taking into account the influence of the Quaternary cover and also the strong lateral velocity variations of the shallow subsurface. The effects of the various processing steps, such as muting, refraction statics, residual statics and velocity analysis, are discussed. To assess the NMO velocities, the qualitative analysis of the seismic energy in a common‐shotpoint gather offered advantages over an analysis in a common‐midpoint gather or in a stacked section, and proved to be very effective. As demonstrated along the Miesbach 9801 line, low‐velocity zones extend locally down to about 400 ms, adjacent to zones of extremely high velocities close to the surface, reflecting steeply dipping strata. Besides the Quaternary cover on top, the Miesbach 9801 and Miesbach 9802 lines exhibit many horizontal reflections, in places down as far as 1400 ms TWT, indicating the sedimentary sequences of the unfolded Foreland Molasse. The southern part of both lines is dominated by southward‐dipping reflection bands, indicating units of the Folded Molasse. The reflection pattern shown by the Miesbach 9901 line suggests that there is almost no Quaternary cover. Southward‐dipping elements reflect the internal structure of the Folded Molasse, whereas a rather diffuse reflection signature may be attributed to Rhenodanubian Flysch units.     

复杂地表的单程波动方程地震叠前正演

作者基于数学检波器和等时叠加原理,实现了复杂地表的单程波动方程地震叠前正演模拟。该方法采用虚拟的数学检波器接收地下的反射地震信号,灵活地将接收点布置在地表的任何地方,从而满足地表起伏的要求。此外,根据等时叠加原理, 该方法采用单程波动方程进行波场延拓和成像,计算简单快速。通过复杂正断层的数值模拟,得到了高信噪比的共炮集地震记录,并采用适用于起伏地形的深度偏移方法对该共炮集地震记录进行了叠前深度偏移,较好地实现了地震波的偏移归位,从而证明了这里提出的起伏地表的单程波动方程地震叠前正演方法是正确和有效的。     

ELECTRONIC ACCELERATION-SENSITIVE GEOPHONE FOR SEISMIC PROSPECTING***

Previously ignored characteristics of the seismic recording instrument are presently experienced as limitations as more sophisticated interpretive methods using wider frequency ranges are developed to extract stratigraphic information from seismic land data for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration. Most of these limitations arise from inadequate characteristics of the first element of the seismic instrument: the geophone. A geophone does not faithfully follow the motion of the earth for higher frequencies due to poor geophone-earth coupling. This filtering effect brings about time shifts that are dependent on the frequency and the soil type. A geophone can also produce spurious outputs, brought about by the motion of the suspended part of the geophone, with a magnitude comparable to that of the desired output. The suspension is made very compliant to obtain the required sensitivity. A compliant suspension, however, gives a large sag. The geophone can therefore only be used in one position, tolerating little tilt. A compliant suspension also widens the traveling range of the movable part. Minor sensitivity changes with travel are then noticeable as nonlinearity, since the surface wave is large with respect to the reflected wave. A compliant suspension is usually realized in the form of thin, spirally shaped spring-spiders. Such suspensions exhibit transverse or rotational resonances that are in or close to the seismic frequency band. Excited by ground roll, they can produce considerable undesirable output. The novel geophone we describe is a light-weight (17 g) acceleration-sensitive transducer which gives good ground coupling and partial correction for the increasing damping in the earth with increasing frequencies. It employs internal hybrid electronics for a magnetodynamic velocity-nulling feedback system. Velocity nulling makes the movable part of the geophone virtually rigid with respect to the housing. This makes the geophone characteristics independent of the suspension. The springs used are stiff in a transverse and rotational direction so that the suspension resonances are well outside the useful frequency band. This suspension also allows the geophone to be used in any orientation while being only sensitive to the vibration component along the main axis. The feedback system makes the sensitivity flat within 1 dB from 2 Hz to 500 Hz, with a phase tolerance smaller than 5°. The geophone is robust, has no moving internal wires, employs a current output [sensitivity 1 mA/(m s^?2)] and internal gain so that the signal-to-cable-noise ratio is improved. This type of output allows parallel connection without any interaction between the geophones.     

THE LAW OF PARALLELISM IN REFRACTION SHOOTING*

The half-intercept-time for in-line reversed profiles is highly adaptable to multi-layer cases, but the deep evidence of the intercept time on the depths and the velocities at the shotpoint and detector position poses a problem. The law of parallelism provides a reliable and simple means to solve this problem. The interpretation procedure implies that from a travel-time curve the refractor segment is projected back to the shotpoint parallel to a refractor curve from an offset shot. The intercept time thus obtained refers only to the geological conditions in the immediate vicinity of the shotpoint, and varying conditions outside this region are automatically climinated. The assumptions involved in the interpretation technique are confined to the region where, in relation to the shotpoint, the rays leave and strike the refractor surface. The use of the “ABC method” to establish true intercept times at the shotpoint is also discussed briefly as well as the applicability of the method to eliminate or minimize arrival time disturbances in order to improve velocity determinations.     

数字地震仪的发展历史及展望

地震仪经历了光点，模拟和数字的变化，数字地震仪本身由16位发展到24位，其附属设备（电缆，检波器）也是到了不同程度的发展。近年来，I／O等公司利用MEMS技术研制了新型地震检波器，这一新的发展对于地震采集尤其是多分量采集带来重要影响。     

Dispersion calculation method based on S-transform and coordinate rotation for Love channel waves with two components

Dispersion analysis is an important part of in-seam seismic data processing, and the calculation accuracy of the dispersion curve directly influences pickup errors of channel wave travel time. To extract an accurate channel wave dispersion curve from in-seam seismic two-component signals, we proposed a time–frequency analysis method based on single-trace signal processing; in addition, we formulated a dispersion calculation equation, based on S-transform, with a freely adjusted filter window width. To unify the azimuth of seismic wave propagation received by a two-component geophone, the original in-seam seismic data undergoes coordinate rotation. The rotation angle can be calculated based on P-wave characteristics, with high energy in the wave propagation direction and weak energy in the vertical direction. With this angle acquisition, a two-component signal can be converted to horizontal and vertical directions. Because Love channel waves have a particle vibration track perpendicular to the wave propagation direction, the signal in the horizontal and vertical directions is mainly Love channel waves. More accurate dispersion characters of Love channel waves can be extracted after the coordinate rotation of two-component signals.     

固体液体分界面处P波和S波波场的分离

在地震勘探中,Ｐ波和Ｓ波入射到一固体液体分界面处时,在该分界处的水平检波器和垂直检波器将接受到相位的响应垂直的响应。垂直检波器的响应与在自由界面处的垂直检波器 响应大概相同,而水平检波器对Ｐ波的响应相对于对Ｓ波的 来说要强。     

Parsimonious wave‐equation travel‐time inversion for refraction waves

We present a parsimonious wave‐equation travel‐time inversion technique for refraction waves. A dense virtual refraction dataset can be generated from just two reciprocal shot gathers for the sources at the endpoints of the survey line, with N geophones evenly deployed along the line. These two reciprocal shots contain approximately 2N refraction travel times, which can be spawned into refraction travel times by an interferometric transformation. Then, these virtual refraction travel times are used with a source wavelet to create N virtual refraction shot gathers, which are the input data for wave‐equation travel‐time inversion. Numerical results show that the parsimonious wave‐equation travel‐time tomogram has about the same accuracy as the tomogram computed by standard wave‐equation travel‐time inversion. The most significant benefit is that a reciprocal survey is far less time consuming than the standard refraction survey where a source is excited at each geophone location.     

Back‐projection stacking of P‐ and S‐waves to determine location and focal mechanism of microseismic events recorded by a surface array

We present an automatic method of processing microseismic data acquired at the surface by a star‐like array. The back‐projection approach allows successive determination of the hypocenter position of each event and of its focal mechanisms. One‐component vertical geophone groups and three‐component accelerometers are employed to monitor both P‐ and S‐waves. Hypocenter coordinates are determined in a grid by back‐projection stacking of the short‐time‐average‐to‐long‐time‐average ratio of absolute amplitudes at vertical components and polarization norm derived from horizontal components of the P‐ and S‐waves, respectively. To make the location process more efficient, calculation is started with a coarse grid and zoomed to the optimum hypocenter using an oct‐tree algorithm. The focal mechanism is then determined by stacking the vertical component seismograms corrected for the theoretical P‐wave polarity of the focal mechanism. The mechanism is resolved in the coordinate space of strike, dip, and rake angles. The method is tested on 34 selected events of a dataset of hydraulic fracture monitoring of a shale gas play in North America. It was found that, by including S‐waves, the vertical accuracy of locations improved by a factor of two and is equal to approximately the horizontal location error. A twofold enhancement of horizontal location accuracy is achieved if a denser array of geophone groups is used instead of the sparse array of three‐component seismometers. The determined focal mechanisms are similar to those obtained by other methods applied to the same dataset.     

Seismic sources for shallow investigations: A field comparison from Northern Germany

A field test of 14 seismic P-wave sources was designed to show the capabilities of several sources for shallow subsurface investigations in the quaternary landscapes of Northern Germany. The sources included accelerated dropped weights, shallow blasts, a shotgun using blank cartridges and controlled signal sources. Local changes in subsurface conditions showed a strong influence on the recorded data, so it proved necessary to record up to 120 shots per source in order to get representative results and to compare not only single shot records but stacked sections as well. Reducing the geophone spacing to 1 m, it became possible to trace very local features like fluctuations in travel times or in the recorded amplitudes. The amplitude spectra of the recorded traces indicated energy at frequencies up to 200 Hz and showed remarkable spatial changes due to different subsurface conditions near the receiver locations. Changes in signal form and amplitude due to compacting effects were visible in the first four impacts of strong sources.     

声波介质一次散射波场高斯束Born正演

Born正演是一种常用的地震波场正演模拟方法,也是线性化地震反演的理论基础.在实际应用时,Born正演通常结合常规的地震射线方法进行实现.为了克服常规地震射线方法的弊端,并且保证地震波场的模拟精度和计算效率,本文提出了一种基于高斯束的一阶散射波场Born正演方法.该方法分为两个环节:首先,我们利用高斯束的走时和振幅信息将地下散射点处的反射率映射为地表束中心位置处的局部平面波;然后,我们利用逆倾斜叠加将局部平面波转化为接收点处的时空域散射波场.在具体的实施过程中,我们提出一种以wavelet-bank方式实现的局部平面波合成方法,同现有的算法相比,可以在保持计算精度的同时,大大减少计算时间;此外,我们还利用最速下降法优化了高斯束的迭代循环过程,进一步提高了Born正演的计算效率.两个模型的应用效果证明,本文所提出的高斯束Born正演方法可以精确、高效的实现声波介质一次散射波场的正演模拟,为三维大规模地震波场的正演问题提供了一种切实可行的实现方案.     

谱比法地震衰减层析反演方法研究

由于地下介质对地震波能量有强烈的吸收作用,降低了地震资料的分辨率以及地震资料处理、解释的精度,因此选择合适的参数对地层吸收衰减情况进行有效描述是对地下构造进行高分辨率、高精度处理及解释的有效途径。目前品质因子Q是对岩石弹性参数进行有效描述的重要参数之一。用品质因子Q来衡量地震波能量在介质中传播的吸收衰减情况,是目前提高地震资料分辨率的有效方法,同时也是提高含油气地层解释精度的有效途径。近些年,许多学者提出了多种计算Q值的方法,其中谱比法是在实际中应用最为广泛的Q值估计方法。本文在前人方法的基础上,对谱比法进行了改进,并结合走时层析方法反演Q值,充分利用谱比法在精度、稳定性等方面的优势以及走时层析方法计算效率高的优点,不仅可以提高反演的精度而且能够保证反演的稳定性,提高计算效率。通过模型试算证明谱比法衰减层析方法能有效估计Q值变化情况,具有较好的发展前景。      

反卷积在人工震源数据处理中的应用

震源到接收台站之间的地层响应函数能够反映地下介质信息。对地震波传播过程中的卷积模型进行推导:记录信号是众多震源子波经过时移加权叠加的结果;通过反卷积方法可去除震源子波信息,提取震源到接收台站之间的地层响应函数;地层响应函数中第一个突跳值对应的时间即为P波走时。在河北赤城—张北地区进行人工震源实验,通过反卷积计算得到该地区地层响应函数剖面图,得出P波波速约6 km/s。利用人工震源系统还可以对地下介质波速变化进行长期动态监测,对地震预测具有一定意义。     

Normal moveout in focus1

Improving the accuracy of NMO corrections and of the corresponding interval velocities entails implementing a better approximation than the formula used since the beginning of seismic processing. The exact equations are not practical as they include many unknowns. The approximate expression has only two unknowns, the reflection time and the rms velocity, but becomes inaccurate for large apertures of the recording system and heterogeneous vertical velocities. Several methods of improving the accuracy have been considered, but the gains do not compensate for the dramatic increase in computing time. Two alternative equations are proposed: the first containing two parameters, the reflection time and the focusing time, is not valid for apertures much greater than is the standard formula, but has a much faster computing time and does not stretch the far traces; the other, containing three parameters, the reflection time, like focusing time and the tuning velocity, retains high frequencies for apertures about twice those allowed by the standard equation. Its computing time can be kept within the same limits. NMO equations, old and new, are designed strictly for horizontal layering, but remain reliable as long as the rays travel through the same layers in both the down and up directions. An equation, similar to Dix's formula, is given to compute the interval velocities. The entire scheme can be automated to produce interval-velocity sections without manual picking.     

数据域初至波走时与成像域反射波走时联合层析速度建模方法

复杂地表探区,尤其是盆山过渡区的油气勘探是我国也是世界上油气勘探的重点区域,但是此类区域油气地震勘探中满足精确地震成像的速度建模一直是个没有很好解决的问题.本文提出了一种综合性的数据域初至波走时与成像域反射波走时联合层析复杂地表浅中深层速度建模方法,并针对联合层析速度反演解的非唯一性问题,深入地分析了层析反演中正则化的本质意义,指出了建立构造特征正则化方法的具体技术路线,提出了联合层析的实现流程及策略.理论和实际数据试验表明,本文提出的数据域初至走时与成像域反射走时联合层析浅中深层速度建模技术避免了常规建模方法中浅层速度模型与中深层速度模型的融合问题,较好地解决了传统成像域反射层析对近地表模型的不可控更新问题,整体提升了深度域浅中深层速度模型的建模精度,进而提高了复杂地表、复杂构造区的地震成像质量.