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Optimal Processing of Marine High-Resolution Seismic Reflection (Chirp) Data

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Abstract

Chirp frequency-modulated (FM) systems offer deterministic, repeatable source-signatures for high-resolution, normal incidence marine seismic reflection data acquisition. An optimal processing sequence for uncorrelated Chirp data is presented to demonstrate the applicability of some conventional seismic reflection algorithms to high-resolution data sets, and to emphasise the importance of a known source-signature. An improvement of greater than 60dB in the signal- to-noise ratio is realised from correlating the FM reflection data with the transmitted pulse. Interpretability of ringy deconvolved data is enhanced by the calculation of instantaneous amplitudes. The signal-to-noise ratio and lateral reflector continuity are both improved by the application of predictive filters whose effectiveness are aided by the repeatability of the Chirp source.

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Quinn, R., Bull, J. & Dix, J. Optimal Processing of Marine High-Resolution Seismic Reflection (Chirp) Data. Marine Geophysical Researches 20, 13–20 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004349805280

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004349805280

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