Synonyms
Definition
Seismic imaging is a set of processes which: transform recorded seismic reflection data into images of reflecting boundaries in the earth’s interior; estimate the seismic velocity used to form the images; and (sometimes) provide estimates for reflection coefficient values that can be used to estimate rock properties.
Introduction
In oil and gas exploration, reflection seismic surveys are acquired with the goal of mapping possible structural and stratigraphic hydrocarbon traps . The reflections are caused by changes in rock properties inside the earth, and they are the earth’s response to excitation from source energy emanating from locations near the surface of the earth. The recordings are made by receivers which are also located near the surface of the earth. Although the seismic energy travels as elastic waves, most imaging processes assume that the recorded wavefield consists entirely of compressional waves ....
References
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Gray, S.H. (2018). Seismic Imaging. In: Sorkhabi, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Petroleum Geoscience. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02330-4_249-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02330-4_249-1
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