SEISMIC REFLECTION PROCESSING

Sheriff & Geldart, Section 9.13 conventional processing flowchart examples (prestack processing in boxes)

Yilmaz 2001

Sheriff & Geldart 1995

Reynolds 1997

Hole: GEOS 4174

4.1-1

Reflection Data Processing: Prestack Signal Processing

Prestack Signal Processing

Sheriff & Geldart, Section 8.8.2, Section 9.8, Section 9.13 digital computer storage of information bit: smallest memory element, a simple 0 or 1 byte: 8 bits together to form a pattern text data: each symbol (letter, number, special character) is given a unique 1-byte code almost all computers now use the same code called ASSCI binary data: computers use one of two different sequencing of bytes within a 2, 4, or 8-byte word these sequences are often labeled big-endian and little-endian corresponding to which end of the word holds the most significant digits => binary data cannot be moved between computer architectures (e.g., PC to Mac) without flipping bytes integer binary data: stores number directly each bit represents one digit in the base-2 number e.g., 11010 = 16+8+0+2+0 = 26 one additional bit is used to store the + or sign 2-byte word integer (16-bit) stores numbers up to +/-215 = 32768 to 32767 4-byte word integer (32-bit) stores numbers up to +/-231 = (too many significant figures) real (floating-point) binary data: stores number in exponential notation e.g., 7.65431*10-72 each bit represents one digit in a base-2 number one additional bit is used to store the + or sign extra bits are used to store a base-10 exponent, with +/- sign 4-byte word (32-bit) stores about 7 significant figures plus exponent 8-byte word (64-bit) (double-precision) stores about 16 significant figures plus exponent
Hole: GEOS 4174 4.1-2 Reflection Data Processing: Prestack Signal Processing

digital recording and storage of seismic data digitization data are digitized in real time in the field a multi-channel digitizer thus digitizes each channel (receiver site) one sample at a time => the data a multiplexed: sorted as { [ value(channel,time) , channel=1toM ] , time=0toN } demultiplex **usually performed in the field sort the data to { [ value(channel,time) , time=0toN ] , channel=1toM } seismic data format most data are stored in a format called SEG-Y that is a standard created by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists SEG-Y format for a single data set: file header: 3200-byte ascii text header containing information about the data set 400-byte binary header (mix of integer and floating point) containing pre-defined parameters that are common to the entire data set (e.g., sampling interval in time, trace length in samples, 2 or 4 bytes, integer or floating point, type of trace sorting) a whole bunch of traces, sorted by 2 of (shot, receiver, CMP, offset) trace header: 240-byte binary header (mix of integer and floating point) containing predefined parameters specific to that trace (e.g., shot and receiver location) data: (number of samples)*(2 or 4)-byte binary data for that trace other standards exist, and most commercial processing packages use their own internal format

Hole: GEOS 4174

4.1-3

Reflection Data Processing: Prestack Signal Processing

Caspian data set: acquisition parameters images from Yilmaz, 2001; data from David Babayev, Kaspmorneftegeofizika acquired in the Caspian Sea (central Asia) using marine airguns and hydrophone cable

Yilmaz 2001

Hole: GEOS 4174

4.1-4

Reflection Data Processing: Prestack Signal Processing

Caspian data set: raw shot gathers

Yilmaz 2001

strong amplitude decay with time and distance differences due to variable water depth and subsurface geology

Hole: GEOS 4174

4.1-5

Reflection Data Processing: Prestack Signal Processing

editing **usually performed in the field delete non-data traces (shot misfires, disconnected cables) delete unusually noisy traces (stacking these in would reduce signal-to-noise) delete traces with spikes or transient signals caused by electronics flip traces that get reversed (+/- sign) due to errors connecting cables de-swell / de-wow **usually performed in the field wave swells and cable noise have a very low-frequency, but large-amplitude signal electronics sometimes adds a low-frequency wow to data apply a very-low-cut frequency filter

Vibroseis correlation **usually performed in the field cross-correlate field data with known vibrator sweep method discussed in data acquisition class notes source-signature deconvolution **sometimes performed in the field deconvolve with a known source signature

resample **NOT performed in the field data are usually over-sampled in time to ensure the highest frequencies are recorded without aliasing a sparser sampling will save computer processing time and memory apply a very-high-cut anti-aliasing frequency filter delete samples to keep only every 2nd or 3rd or 4th or sample
Hole: GEOS 4174 4.1-6 Reflection Data Processing: Prestack Signal Processing

Caspian data set: shot gathers after low-cut filter

Yilmaz 2001

cable and swell noise has been removed

Hole: GEOS 4174

4.1-7

Reflection Data Processing: Prestack Signal Processing