Space-time ray method for seismic wave fields

Summary The space-time ray method can be applied to the evaluation and continuation (extrapolation) of the complete seismic wave field in laterally inhomogeneous media with curved interfaces. The wave field propagates along certain space-time curves, called space-time rays. Their space projections correspond to standard rays. Examples of possible applications of the space-time ray method, where the standard ray method fails, are as follows: a) The propagation of seismic waves in slightly dissipative media, b) The computation of seismic wave fields generated by seismic sources with direction-dependent source-time variations. c) Downward continuation of the seismic wave field (actual seismograms) measured at the Earth's surface.     

分块三维速度模型生成及理论地震图的计算

本文提出了在计算机上实现分块三维地壳模型及利用加权最小二乘拟合生成平缓光滑的三维速度函数的方法,给出了适用于分块、块内速度连续变化的三维模型中Cauchy射线追踪的新算法,简介了基于上述方法反射线的基本理论所编制的合成三维理论地震图的程序包RSSGTD.给出的两个盆地状模型的算例表明,所使用的模型生成方法具有模拟复杂地壳结构的能力;与三维样条函数方法比较,最小二乘拟合方法能给出更加适合射线方法合成地震图计算的速度函数,并且内存小、计算速度快;所给出的Cauchy射线追踪算法能够适合块状模型中任何体波射线的追踪.     

Ray tracing and geodesic deviation of the SH and SV reference rays in a heterogeneous generally anisotropic medium which is approximately uniaxial

The coupling ray theory is usually applied to anisotropic common reference rays, but it is more accurate if it is applied to reference rays which are closer to the actual wave paths. If we know that a medium is close to uniaxial (transversely isotropic), it may be advantageous to trace reference rays which resemble the SH–wave and SV–wave rays. This paper is devoted to defining and tracing these SH and SV reference rays of elastic S waves in a heterogeneous generally anisotropic medium which is approximately uniaxial (approximately transversely isotropic), and to the corresponding equations of geodesic deviation (dynamic ray tracing). All presented equations are simultaneously applicable to ordinary and extraordinary reference rays of electromagnetic waves in a generally bianisotropic medium which is approximately uniaxially anisotropic. The improvement of the coupling–ray–theory seismograms calculated along the proposed SH and SV reference rays, compared to the coupling–ray–theory seismograms calculated along the anisotropic common reference rays, has already been numerically demonstrated by the authors in four approximately uniaxial velocity models.     

地震波走时和射线的有限差分计算

以往都是采用射线追踪的方法计算地震波的走时和射线，但是当速度模型复杂时这种方法存在一些问题。本文提出另一种计算地震波走时和射线的方法。该方法从程函方程出发，利用互换原理和Ｆｅｒｍａｔ原理计算出各种波的到时和射线。解决了射线追踪方法存在的问题。为地震波走时和射线的计算以及地震波走时反演开辟了一条新途径。     

3D multivalued travel time and amplitude maps

An algorithm for computing multivalued maps for travel time, amplitude and any other ray related variable in 3D smooth velocity models is presented. It is based on the construction of successive isochrons by tracing a uniformly dense discrete set of rays by fixed travel-time steps. Ray tracing is based on Hamiltonian formulation and includes computation of paraxial matrices. A ray density criterion ensures uniform ray density along isochrons over the entire ray field including caustics. Applications to complex models are shown.     

三维复杂介质的块状建模和试射射线追踪

为了解决三维复杂介质的射线追踪,本文改变了传统的三维层状地层的建模描述方式,提出了块状结构的建模描述方法,结合三角形面片来描述地质界面,可以构造非常复杂的三维地质模型．为了满足射线追踪的需要,本文对模型界面内的法向量进行光滑处理,光滑后的法向量在界面内是连续变化的．在块状模型的基础上,本文运用三角形的面积坐标,提出了几种试射角度的修正方法：细分三角形法、分割三角形法和子三角形法,计算表明子三角形法最好．文中给出了三维块状模型和射线追踪实例．     

三角网波行面扩展最小走时射线追踪全局算法

To address the problem of subdividing inflexible rectangular grid models and their poor definition of velocity interfaces, we propose a complex structure triangular net for a minimum traveltime ray tracing global algorithm. Our procedure is: (1) Subdivide a triangle grid based on the Delaunay triangular subdivision criterion and the relationships of the points, lines, and the surfaces in the subdividing area. (2) Define the topology relationships and related concepts of triangular unit ray tracing. (3) The source point and wave arrival points at any time compose the propagating plane wave and the minimum traveltime and secondary source positions are calculated during the plane wave propagation. We adopt the hyperbolic approximation global algorithm for secondary source retrieving. (4) By minimum traveltime ray tracing, collect the path from receiver to source points with the neighborhood point’s traveltime and the direction of the secondary source. Numerical simulation examples are given to test the algorithm. The results show that the triangular net ray tracing method demonstrates model subdivision flexibility, precise velocity discontinuity interfaces, and accurate computations.     

基于射线追踪的微地震多波场正演模拟

对于微地震正演模拟,本文以射线追踪的原理为基础,对两点间的射线追踪问题进行了研究,应用二分算法、改进二分算法和微变网格算法对水平层状匀速模型、弯曲层状匀速模型和复杂地质模型进行射线追踪,使得计算效率和适用范围都得到了很大的改善.文中对每种算法误差范围和计算效率进行了对比验证,对于不同的地质模型,选用合适的算法才能在计算速度和精度上得到双重保证,最后正演模拟了多波三分量记录.在模型建立上引入了超薄层概念,并在前人模拟的直达波、透射波、反射波基础上拟了折射波,使正演模拟的多波场信息更丰富.文中的应用实例及模型结果表明:与二分法相比,改进二分法能够对弯曲界面进行射线追踪,并能保证结果的精度.弯曲层状模型中,改进二分法与微变网格法相比计算速度有显著提高,能够应用到资料的反演中.     

Seismic ray path variations in a 3D global velocity model

A three-dimensional (3D) ray tracing technique is used to investigate ray path variations of P, PcP, pP and PP phases in a global tomographic model with P wave velocity changing in three dimensions and with lateral depth variations of the Moho, 410 and 660 km discontinuities. The results show that ray paths in the 3D velocity model deviate considerably from those in the average 1D model. For a PcP wave in Western Pacific to East Asia where the high-velocity (1-2%) Pacific slab is subducting beneath the Eurasian continent, the ray path change amounts to 27 km. For a PcP ray in South Pacific where very slow (−2%) velocity anomalies (the Pacific superplume) exist in the whole mantle, the maximum ray path deviation amounts to 77 km. Ray paths of other phases (P, pP, PP) are also displaced by tens of kilometers. Changes in travel time are as large as 3.9 s. These results suggest that although the maximal velocity anomalies of the global tomographic model are only 1-2%, rays passing through regions with strong lateral heterogeneity (in velocity and/or discontinuity topography) can have significant deviations from those in a 1D model because rays have very long trajectories in the global case. If the blocks or grid nodes adopted for inversion are relatively large (3-5°) and only a low-resolution 3D model is estimated, 1D ray tracing may be feasible. But if fine blocks or grid nodes are used to determine a high-resolution model, 3D ray tracing becomes necessary and important for the global tomography.     

Paraxial ray methods in inhomogeneous anisotropic media: Initial conditions

Paraxial ray methods have found broad applications in the seismic ray method and in numerical modelling and interpretation of high-frequency seismic wave fields propagating in inhomogeneous, isotropic or anisotropic structures. The basic procedure in paraxial ray methods consists in dynamic ray tracing. We derive the initial conditions for dynamic ray equations in Cartesian coordinates, for rays initiated at three types of initial manifolds given in a three-dimensional medium: 1) curved surfaces (surface source), 2) isolated points (point source), and 3) curved, planar and non-planar lines (line source). These initial conditions are very general, valid for homogeneous or inhomogeneous, isotropic or anisotropic media, and for both a constant and a variable initial travel time along the initial manifold. The results presented in the paper considerably extend the possible applications of the paraxial ray method.     

Two-point ray tracing in 3-D

Algorithm for determination of all two-point rays of a given elementary wave by means of the shooting method is presented. The algorithm is designed for general 3-D models composed of inhomogeneous geological blocks separated by curved interfaces. It is independent of the initial conditions for rays and of the initial-value ray tracer. The algorithm described has been coded in Fortran 77, using subroutine packages MODEL and CRT for model specification and for initial-value ray tracing.     

Comparison of the anisotropic-ray-theory rays and anisotropic common S-wave rays with the SH and SV reference rays in a velocity model with a split intersection singularity

We describe the behaviour of the anisotropic–ray–theory S–wave rays in a velocity model with a split intersection singularity. The anisotropic–ray–theory S–wave rays crossing the split intersection singularity are smoothly but very sharply bent. While the initial–value rays can be safely traced by solving Hamilton’s equations of rays, it is often impossible to determine the coefficients of the equations of geodesic deviation (paraxial ray equations, dynamic ray tracing equations) and to solve them numerically. As a result, we often know neither the matrix of geometrical spreading, nor the phase shift due to caustics. We demonstrate the abrupt changes of the geometrical spreading and wavefront curvature of the fast anisotropic–ray–theory S wave. We also demonstrate the formation of caustics and wavefront triplication of the slow anisotropic–ray–theory S wave.Since the actual S waves propagate approximately along the SH and SV reference rays in this velocity model, we compare the anisotropic–ray–theory S–wave rays with the SH and SV reference rays. Since the coupling ray theory is usually calculated along the anisotropic common S–wave rays, we also compare the anisotropic common S–wave rays with the SH and SV reference rays.     

Traveltime computation by wavefront-orientated ray tracing

For multivalued traveltime computation on dense grids, we propose a wavefront‐orientated ray‐tracing (WRT) technique. At the source, we start with a few rays which are propagated stepwise through a smooth two‐dimensional (2D) velocity model. The ray field is examined at wavefronts and a new ray might be inserted between two adjacent rays if one of the following criteria is satisfied: (1) the distance between the two rays is larger than a predefined threshold; (2) the difference in wavefront curvature between the rays is larger than a predefined threshold; (3) the adjacent rays intersect. The last two criteria may lead to oversampling by rays in caustic regions. To avoid this oversampling, we do not insert a ray if the distance between adjacent rays is smaller than a predefined threshold. We insert the new ray by tracing it from the source. This approach leads to an improved accuracy compared with the insertion of a new ray by interpolation, which is the method usually applied in wavefront construction. The traveltimes computed along the rays are used for the estimation of traveltimes on a rectangular grid. This estimation is carried out within a region bounded by adjacent wavefronts and rays. As for the insertion criterion, we consider the wavefront curvature and extrapolate the traveltimes, up to the second order, from the intersection points between rays and wavefronts to a gridpoint. The extrapolated values are weighted with respect to the distances to wavefronts and rays. Because dynamic ray tracing is not applied, we approximate the wavefront curvature at a given point using the slowness vector at this point and an adjacent point on the same wavefront. The efficiency of the WRT technique is strongly dependent on the input parameters which control the wavefront and ray densities. On the basis of traveltimes computed in a smoothed Marmousi model, we analyse these dependences and suggest some rules for a correct choice of input parameters. With suitable input parameters, the WRT technique allows an accurate traveltime computation using a small number of rays and wavefronts.     

Complex rays applied to wave propagation in a viscoelastic medium

In order to trace a ray between known source and receiver locations in a perfectly elastic medium, the take-off angle must be determined, or equialently, the ray parameter. In a viscoelastic medium, the initial value of a second angle, the attenuation angle (the angle between the normal to the plane wavefront and the direction of maximum attenuation), must also be determined. There seems to be no agreement in the literature as to how this should be done. In computing anelastic synthetic seismograms, some authors have simply chosen arbitrary numerical values for the initial attenuation angle, resulting in different raypaths for different choices. There exists, however, a procedure in which the arbitrariness is not present, i.e., in which the raypath is uniquely determined. It consists of computing the value of the anelastic ray parameter for which the phase function is stationary (Fermat's principle). This unique value of the ray parameter gives unique values for the take-off and attenuation angles. The coordinates of points on these stationary raypaths are complex numbers. Such rays are known as complex rays. They have been used to study electromagnetic wave propagation in lossy media. However, ray-synthetic seismograms can be computed by this procedure without concern for the details of complex raypath coordinates. To clarify the nature of complex rays, we study two examples involving a ray passing through a vertically inhomogeneous medium. In the first example, the medium consists of a sequence of discrete homogeneous layers. We find that the coordinates of points on the ray are generally complex (other than the source and receiver points which are usually assumed to lie in real space), except for a ray which is symmetric about an axis down its center, in which case the center point of the ray lies in real space. In the second example, the velocity varies continuously and linearly with depth. We show that, in geneneral, the turning point of the ray lies in complex space (unlike the symmetric ray in the discrete layer case), except if the ratio of the velocity gradient to the complex frequency-dependent velocity at the surface is a real number. We also present a numerical example which demonstrates that the differences between parameters, such as arrival time and raypath angles, for the stationary ray and for rays computed by the above-mentioned arbitrary approaches can be substantial.     

Complex Rays and Wave Packets for Decaying Signals in Inhomogeneous,Anisotropic and Anelastic Media

Diffraction and anelasticity problems involving decaying, evanescent or inhomogeneous waves can be studied and modelled using the notion of complex rays. The wavefront or eikonal equation for such waves is in general complex and leads to rays in complex position-slowness space. Initial conditions must be specified in that domain: for example, even for a wave originating in a perfectly elastic region, the ray to a real receiver in a neighbouring anelastic region generally departs from a complex point on the initial-values surface. Complex ray theory is the formal extension of the usual Hamilton equations to complex domains. Liouville's phase-space-incompressibility theorem and Fermat's stationary-time principle are formally unchanged. However, an infinity of paths exists between two fixed points in complex space all of which give the same final slowness, travel time, amplitude, etc. This does not contradict the fact that for a given receiver position there is a unique point on the initial-values surface from which this infinite complex ray family emanates. In perfectly elastic media complex rays are associated with, for example, evanescent waves in the shadow of a caustic. More generally, caustics in anelastic media may lie just outside the real coordinate subspace and one must trace complex rays around the complex caustic in order to obtain accurate waveforms nearby or the turning waves at greater distances into the lit region. The complex extension of the Maslov method for computing such waveforms is described. It uses the complex extension of the Legendre transformation and the extra freedom of complex rays makes pseudocaustics avoidable. There is no need to introduce a Maslov/KMAH index to account for caustics in the geometrical ray approximation, the complex amplitude being generally continuous. Other singular ray problems, such as the strong coupling around acoustic axes in anisotropic media, may also be addressed using complex rays. Complex rays are insightful and practical for simple models (e.g. homogeneous layers). For more complicated numerical work, though, it would be desirable to confine attention to real position coordinates. Furthermore, anelasticity implies dispersion so that complex rays are generally frequency dependent. The concept of group velocity as the velocity of a spatial or temporal maximum of a narrow-band wave packet does lead to real ray/Hamilton equations. However, envelope-maximum tracking does not itself yield enough information to compute synthetic seismograms. For anelasticity which is weak in certain precise senses, one can set up a theory of real, dispersive wave-packet tracking suitable for synthetic seismogram calculations in linearly visco-elastic media. The seismologically-accepiable constant-Q rheology of Liu et al. (1976), for example, satisfies the requirements of this wave-packet theory, which is adapted from electromagnetics and presented as a reasonable physical and mathematical basis for ray modelling in inhomogeneous, anisotropic, anelastic media. Dispersion means that one may need to do more work than for elastic media. However, one can envisage perturbation analyses based on the ray theory presented here, as well as extensions like Maslov's which are based on the Hamiltonian properties.     

复杂山地随机介质GMM-ULTI法射线追踪

对复杂山地介质的非均质性以及介质中地震波运动学特征进行深入研究,对于提高复杂山地区域地震勘探的效果有着重要的理论意义和实际价值.为了研究复杂山地非均质性和该介质中地震波的一些运动特性,提出了一种复杂山地随机介质的建模方法和一种新的射线追踪算法.与常规算法相比,复杂山地随机介质的生成方法采用更贴近实际介质特点的梯度介质作为背景介质,并在模型生成过程中加入地形修正步骤;新提出的GMM-ULTI射线追踪算法,充分融合群推进法、迎风思想、走时插值法的优势,采用先计算走时后追踪射线路径的两步策略完成射线追踪.算法分析与计算实例表明:复杂山地随机介质的生成方法能灵活、精细且更贴近实际地刻画复杂山地介质的非均质特点;新射线追踪算法兼顾精度和效率、能无条件稳定且灵活地适应复杂山地随机介质的特点;同时基于对几个模型试算结果的分析也得出了复杂山地随机介质中的地震波的一些传播规律.     

Point-to-curve ray tracing

Point-to-curve ray tracing is an attempt at dealing with multiplicity of solutions to a generic boundary-value problem of ray tracing. In a point-to-curve tracing (P2C) the input parameters of the boundary-value problem (BVP), such as the ends of the ray, are allowed to vary along a curve. The solutions of the BVP automatically wander from one solution branch to another generating a nearly complete multi-valued solution of the BVPs.A procedure for transforming an arbitrary iterative algorithm, solving a ray tracing BVP to a corresponding P2C algorithm, is presented. Bifurcations of the solution curve of the P2C problem at caustics are studied and an algorithm for obtaining the bifurcating branches is developed. In particular, transition from real rays to complex rays in a caustic shadow offers an additional link between otherwise disconnected solution curves of the P2C problem. The topological structure of a generic solution curve and its implications for the algorithm are studied.     

Eigenrays in 3D heterogeneous anisotropic media,Part II: Dynamics

This paper is the second in a sequel of two papers and dedicated to the computation of paraxial rays and dynamic characteristics along the stationary rays obtained in the first paper. We start by formulating the linear, second‐order, Jacobi dynamic ray tracing equation. We then apply a similar finite‐element solver, as used for the kinematic ray tracing, to compute the dynamic characteristics between the source and any point along the ray. The dynamic characteristics in our study include the relative geometric spreading and the phase correction due to caustics (i.e. the amplitude and the phase of the asymptotic form of the Green's function for waves propagating in 3D heterogeneous general anisotropic elastic media). The basic solution of the Jacobi equation is a shift vector of a paraxial ray in the plane normal to the ray direction at each point along the central ray. A general paraxial ray is defined by a linear combination of up to four basic vector solutions, each corresponds to specific initial conditions related to the ray coordinates at the source. We define the four basic solutions with two pairs of initial condition sets: point–source and plane‐wave. For the proposed point–source ray coordinates and initial conditions, we derive the ray Jacobian and relate it to the relative geometric spreading for general anisotropy. Finally, we introduce a new dynamic parameter, similar to the endpoint complexity factor, presented in the first paper, used to define the measure of complexity of the propagated wave/ray phenomena. The new weighted propagation complexity accounts for the normalized relative geometric spreading not only at the receiver point, but along the whole stationary ray path. We propose a criterion based on this parameter as a qualifying factor associated with the given ray solution. To demonstrate the implementation of the proposed method, we use several isotropic and anisotropic benchmark models. For all the examples, we first compute the stationary ray paths, and then compute the geometric spreading and analyse these trajectories for possible caustics. Our primary aim is to emphasize the advantages, transparency and simplicity of the proposed approach.     

Complex Rays and Wave Packets for Decaying Signals in Inhomogeneous,Anisotropic and Anelastic Media

Diffraction and anelasticity problems involving decaying, “evanescent” or “inhomogeneous” waves can be studied and modelled using the notion of “complex rays”. The wavefront or “eikonal” equation for such waves is in general complex and leads to rays in complex position-slowness space. Initial conditions must be specified in that domain: for example, even for a wave originating in a perfectly elastic region, the ray to a real receiver in a neighbouring anelastic region generally departs from a complex point on the initial-values surface. Complex ray theory is the formal extension of the usual Hamilton equations to complex domains. Liouville's phase-space-incompressibility theorem and Fermat's stationary-time principle are formally unchanged. However, an infinity of paths exists between two fixed points in complex space all of which give the same final slowness, travel time, amplitude, etc. This does not contradict the fact that for a given receiver position there is a unique point on the initial-values surface from which this infinite complex ray family emanates.In perfectly elastic media complex rays are associated with, for example, evanescent waves in the shadow of a caustic. More generally, caustics in anelastic media may lie just outside the real coordinate subspace and one must trace complex rays around the complex caustic in order to obtain accurate waveforms nearby or the turning waves at greater distances into the lit region. The complex extension of the Maslov method for computing such waveforms is described. It uses the complex extension of the Legendre transformation and the extra freedom of complex rays makes pseudocaustics avoidable. There is no need to introduce a Maslov/KMAH index to account for caustics in the geometrical ray approximation, the complex amplitude being generally continuous. Other singular ray problems, such as the strong coupling around acoustic axes in anisotropic media, may also be addressed using complex rays.Complex rays are insightful and practical for simple models (e.g. homogeneous layers). For more complicated numerical work, though, it would be desirable to confine attention to real position coordinates. Furthermore, anelasticity implies dispersion so that complex rays are generally frequency dependent. The concept of group velocity as the velocity of a spatial or temporal maximum of a narrow-band wave packet does lead to real ray/Hamilton equations. However, envelope-maximum tracking does not itself yield enough information to compute synthetic seismogramsFor anelasticity which is weak in certain precise senses, one can set up a theory of real, dispersive wave-packet tracking suitable for synthetic seismogram calculations in linearly visco-elastic media. The seismologically-accepiable constant-Q rheology of Liu et al. (1976), for example, satisfies the requirements of this wave-packet theory, which is adapted from electromagnetics and presented as a reasonable physical and mathematical basis for ray modelling in inhomogeneous, anisotropic, anelastic media. Dispersion means that one may need to do more work than for elastic media. However, one can envisage perturbation analyses based on the ray theory presented here, as well as extensions like Maslov's which are based on the Hamiltonian properties.     

SEISMIC REFLECTION AMPLITUDES1

Seismic amplitude variations with offset contain information about the elastic parameters. Prestack amplitude analysis seeks to extract this information by using the variations of the reflection coefficients as functions of angle of incidence. Normally, an approximate formula is used for the reflection coefficients, and variations with offset of the geometrical spreading and the anelastic attenuation are often ignored. Using angle of incidence as the dependent variable is also computationally inefficient since the data are recorded as a function of offset. Improved approximations have been derived for the elastic reflection and transmission coefficients, the geometrical spreading and the complex travel-time (including anelastic attenuation). For a 1 D medium, these approximations are combined to produce seismic reflection amplitudes (P-wave, S-wave or converted wave) as a Taylor series in the offset coordinate. The coefficients of the Taylor series are computed directly from the parameters of the medium, without using the ray parameter. For primary reflected P-waves, dynamic ray tracing has been used to compute the offset variations of the transmission coefficients, the reflection coefficient, the geometrical spreading and the anelastic attenuation. The offset variation of the transmission factor is small, while the variations in the geometrical spreading, absorption and reflection coefficient are all significant. The new approximations have been used for seismic modelling without ray tracing. The amplitude was approximated by a fourth-order polynomial in offset, the traveltime by the normal square-root approximation and the absorption factor by a similar expression. This approximate modelling was compared to dynamic ray tracing, and the results are the same for zero offset and very close for offsets less than the reflector depth.