Seismic diffractions are weak seismic events hidden within the more dominant reflection events in a seismic profile. Separating diffraction energy from the poststack seismic profiles can help infer the subsurface discontinuities that generate the diffraction events. The separated seismic diffractions can be migrated with a traditional seismic imaging method or a specifically designed migration method

Blind sparse-spike deconvolution is a widely used method to estimate seismic wavelets and sparse reflectivity in the shape of spikes based on the convolution model. To increase the vertical resolution and lateral continuity of the estimated reflectivity, we further improve the sparse-spike deconvolution by introducing the atomic norm minimization and structural regularization, respectively. Specifically

Numerical solutions of 3D isotropic elastodynamics form the key computational kernel for many isotropic elastic reverse time migration and full-waveform inversion applications. However, real-life scenarios often require computing solutions for computational domains characterized by non-Cartesian geometry (e.g., free-surface topography). One solution strategy is to compute the elastodynamic response

Seismic wave propagation within thinly layered anelastic reservoirs is modeled by direct application of Lagrangian continuum mechanics. Instead of postulating viscoelastic Q-factors or specific microscopic mechanisms, the anelastic properties of the layers are modeled by using generalized macroscopic internal variables. These variables represent averaged measures of various types of internal deformations

Reverse time migration (RTM) is a powerful seismic imaging tool that suffers from high computational complexity when dealing with massive data. The simultaneous-shot method can effectively reduce the amount of migration by assembling several sources, although it adds crosstalk noise, which seriously affects the quality of the RTM results. To avoid this problem, we have adopted a time-domain scheme

The nonlinearity of full-waveform inversion (FWI) and parameter trade-offs can prevent convergence toward the actual model, especially for elastic anisotropic media. The problems with parameter updating become particularly severe if ultra-low-frequency seismic data are unavailable, and the initial model is not sufficiently accurate. We introduce a robust way to constrain the inversion workflow using

There is a clear demand to increase detection depths in the context of raw material exploration programs. Semi-airborne electromagnetic (semi-AEM) methods can address these demands by combining the advantages of powerful transmitters deployed on the ground with efficient helicopter-borne mapping of the magnetic field response in the air. The penetration depth can exceed those of classic airborne EM

Identifying the location of intrusions is a key component in exploration for porphyry Cu ± Mo ± Au deposits. In typical porphyry terrains, in the absence of outcrop, intrusions can be difficult to discriminate from the compositionally similar volcanic and volcanoclastic sedimentary rocks in which they are emplaced. The ability to produce lithological maps at an early exploration stage can significantly

When present, surface-consistent (shot and/or receiver) phase instability will generate surface-consistent time shifts that are at least partially removed from seismic data when surface-consistent residual statics corrections are applied. The phase instability will not be fully corrected and lingers undetected in the data throughout the remainder of the processing workflow. After processing finishes

To investigate wavefield depth extrapolation using the full-wave equation, we have derived a new depth extrapolation scheme for migration using functions of the vertical wavenumber. We develop a complete matrix multiplication formulation and approach to calculate the related mathematical functions of the vertical wavenumber and perform depth extrapolation using matrix multiplication only. Because our

Refraction methods are often applied to model and image near-surface velocity structures. However, near-surface imaging is very challenging, and no single method can resolve all of the land seismic problems across the world. In addition, deep interfaces are difficult to image from land reflection data due to the associated low signal-to-noise ratio. Following previous research, we have developed a

A geometric factor properly describing the microstructure of a rock is compulsory for effective medium models to accurately predict the elastic and electrical rock properties, which, in turn, are of great importance for interpreting data acquired by seismic and electromagnetic surveys, two of the most important geophysical methods for understanding the earth. Despite the applications of cementation

We propose to invert reservoir porosity from poststack seismic data using an innovative approach based on deep-learning methods. We develop an unsupervised approach to circumvent the requirement of large volumes of labeled data sets for a conventional learning process. We apply convolutional neural networks (CNN) on seismic data to predict the relative porosity that is to be added to a low-frequency

One of the key goals of microseismic processing is accurate estimation of the source location. Using full-waveform information in passive-source data sets can potentially delineate microseismic sources. The accuracy of the compressional-wave and shear-wave velocities has a strong influence on the estimation of source locations and hence the reliability of the fracture detection. We have adopted a methodology

Microseismic monitoring aims at detecting as weak events as possible and providing reliable locations and source mechanisms for these events. Surface monitoring arrays suffer from significant variations of noise levels across receiver lines. When using a large monitoring array, we use a stacking technique to detect microseismic events through maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the stack

Geophysical methods can characterize aquifer systems noninvasively and are particularly helpful to image the complex depositional architecture of the subsurface. Among these, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is an effective tool for detailed investigations of shallow subsurface geometry, but it provides only limited information on hydraulic properties. Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) provides parameters

Buried pipelines are “lifelines” for cities; therefore, it is vital to understand their location and depth before municipal construction to prevent them from being damaged. Magnetic methods have been applied to detect buried ferrous metal pipelines such as steel and cast-iron pipes. We have developed a positioning method for buried pipelines from magnetic data, which is based on a combination of the

Phase information of seismic signals is sensitive to subsurface discontinuities. However, 1D phase attributes are not robust when dealing with noisy data. In addition, variations of seismic phase attributes with azimuth are seldom explored. To address these issues, we have developed 6D phase-difference attributes (PDAs) derived from azimuthal phase-frequency spectra. For the seismic volume of a certain

To improve the understanding of flow and transport processes in the critical zone, high-resolution and accurate estimation of the small-scale heterogeneity is essential. Preferential flow paths related to high-porosity layers and clay lenses in gravel aquifers greatly affect flow and transport processes in the subsurface, and their high electrical contrast to their surrounding matrix and limited extent

Recovering material properties of the subsurface using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data of finite bandwidth with missing low frequencies and in the presence of strong attenuation is a challenging problem. We have adopted three nonlinear inverse methods for recovering electrical conductivity and permittivity of the subsurface by joining GPR multioffset and electrical resistivity (ER) data acquired

A new method for inversion of potential fields is developed using a depth-weighting function specifically designed for fields related to complex source distributions. Such a weighting function is determined from an analysis of the field that precedes the inversion itself. The algorithm is self-consistent, meaning that the weighting used in the inversion is directly deduced from the scaling properties

Controlled-source electromagnetics (CSEM) can be used to image subsurface resistivity and add value in petroleum exploration. However, the application of CSEM methods can be particularly challenging in mature oil and gas fields, where the presence of steel casings and complex seabed infrastructure may influence electromagnetic (EM) fields. The effect of this metal infrastructure can be modeled using

Unstructured grids are capable of faithfully representing real-life geologic models and topography with relatively few mesh cells. We have developed a finite-volume solution to the 3D time-domain electromagnetic forward modeling problems using unstructured Delaunay-Voronoï dual meshes. We consider the Helmholtz equation for the electric field and a combination of the Helmholtz equation and the conservation

Single-well imaging (SWI) is a borehole measurement technique for detecting geologic structures outside a borehole by using arrays of receivers to record the waves reflected from these structures. The asymptotic solutions of P-P, SV-SV, and SH-SH waves in SWI have been obtained, but the P-SV and SV-P waves have been ignored in previous studies. It is necessary to know when these conversion waves are

So-called polarization horns appear in electromagnetic well logs when the sondes move through the interface between formations of different conductivities. Since the early 1990s, peaks in the logs have been attributed to the influence of surface charges due to the presence of electric field components perpendicular to the interfaces. A new analysis finds that surface charges should not be pinpointed

Seismic exploration in complex geologic settings and shallow geologic targets has led to a demand for higher spatial and temporal resolution in the final migrated image. Conventional marine seismic and wide-azimuth data acquisition lack near-offset coverage, which limits imaging in these settings. A new marine source-over-cable survey, with split-spread configuration, known as TopSeis, was introduced

In a viscoelastic anisotropic medium, velocity anisotropy and wave energy attenuation occur and are often observed in seismic data applications. Numerical investigation of seismic wave propagation in complex viscoelastic anisotropic media is very helpful in understanding seismic data and reconstructing subsurface structures. Seismic ray tracing is an effective means to study the propagation characteristics

In frequency-domain seismic wave modeling, absorbing artificial reflections is crucial to obtain accurate numerical solutions. We have determined that, in viscoelastic anisotropic media (VEAM), the most popular absorbing boundary techniques, such as the perfectly matched layer and the generalized stiffness reduction method (GSRM), fail. Then, we develop a new version of the GSRM and incorporate it

Fast and accurate traveltime computation for quasi-P waves in anisotropic media is an essential ingredient of many seismic processing and interpretation applications such as Kirchhoff modeling and migration, microseismic source localization, and traveltime tomography. Fast-sweeping methods are widely used for solving the anisotropic eikonal equation due to their flexibility in solving general equations

Target-oriented inversion (TOI) is an approach aimed at enhancing the ability of full-waveform inversion (FWI) to achieve a high-resolution delineation of a reservoir. FWI has demonstrated its potential to address the challenge of imaging complex structures on a considerable number of field data applications. Nevertheless, it is still impractical costwise to implement FWI with the full band of seismic

A high-resolution Q model is beneficial for more accurate attenuation compensation and preferable for gas-related interpretation. Given an accurate velocity model, viscoacoustic/viscoelastic full-waveform inversion (Q-FWI) could reconstruct a high-resolution Q model, but it requires significant computational cost due to the iterative process of solving viscoacoustic/viscoelastic wave equations. We

It is known from the potential theory that a continuous and planar layer of dipoles can exactly reproduce the total-field anomaly produced by arbitrary 3D sources. We have proven the existence of an equivalent layer having an all-positive magnetic-moment distribution for the case in which the magnetization direction of this layer is the same as that of the true sources, regardless of whether the magnetization

We have developed an algorithm for joint inversion of full-waveform ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity (ER) data. The GPR data are sensitive to electrical permittivity through reflectivity and velocity, and electrical conductivity through reflectivity and attenuation. The ER data are directly sensitive to the electrical conductivity. The two types of data are inherently linked

We have developed an efficient and very fast equivalent-layer technique for gravity data processing by modifying an iterative method grounded on an excess mass constraint that does not require the solution of linear systems. Taking advantage of the symmetric block-Toeplitz Toeplitz-block (BTTB) structure of the sensitivity matrix that arises when regular grids of observation points and equivalent sources

In urban subsurface exploration, seismic surveys are mostly conducted along roads where seismic vibrators can be extensively used to generate strong seismic energy due to economic and environmental constraints. Generally, Rayleigh waves also are excited by the compressional wave profiling process. Shear-wave (S-wave) velocities can be inferred using Rayleigh waves to complement near-surface characterization

Formation density is one of the most important parameters in formation evaluation. Radioisotope chemical sources are used widely in conventional gamma-gamma density (GGD) logging. Considering security and environmental risks, there has been growing interest in pulsed neutron generators in place of the radioactive-chemical source in using bulk-density measurements. However, there still is the requirement

It has been previously shown that Nernst’s equation is not reliable for the interpretation of spontaneous potential (SP) measurements acquired in hydrocarbon-bearing rocks. We have examined whether the difference between borehole SP measurements and Nernst-equation predictions could be used to estimate in situ hydrocarbon saturation of porous rocks. For this purpose, a new petrophysical model and a

Horizontally and vertically aligned fractures (joints) permeated in an isotropic background can give rise to a long-wavelength equivalent orthorhombic medium, which is common for naturally fractured reservoirs. We have developed a feasible approach to characterize the horizontal and vertical fractures using observed azimuthal seismic reflection data. For weak anisotropy, we assume that the horizontal

Coal seams have beddings and fissures and are typically anisotropic media. Current channel wave theories are mainly based on isotropic media, and few studies exist on the dispersion characteristics of Rayleigh channel waves in anisotropic models, such as transversely isotropic (TI) media. We chose the generalized reflection-transmission coefficient method to solve the dispersion curves of Rayleigh

Two 2D reflection seismic profiles were acquired in Blötberget, south-central Sweden, for deep targeting and delineation of sheet-like iron-oxide deposits, known to dip toward the southeast and extend down to at least 0.8 km depth from core drilling observations. The two perpendicular profiles recorded shots at every receiver station along the main and cross profiles. To obtain more information on

Different scales of voids and cavities in karst systems demonstrate considerable potential as exploration targets in the Tarim Basin, northwest China. Numerous diffraction events exist in the seismic data above the karst reservoir in this area because of the strong impedance contrast and irregular shape of voids. The conventional impedance inversion method using migrated data as an input cannot easily

The safety and efficiency of tunnel construction depend on the knowledge of complex geologic conditions. Hence, an accurate forward-prospecting technique is required to detect unexpected inhomogeneous geologic structures ahead of tunnel construction. As an accurate method to image geologic heterogeneities, elastic reverse time migration (ERTM) is introduced to the field of tunnel forward prospecting

Existing noise removal processes for airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data generally consist of several steps, with each using a specific method to remove a specific type of noise. To improve the efficiency of AEM denoising and reduce the impact of the subjective judgment of the operators on the processing results, we have adopted a deep learning method based on a denoising autoencoder (DAE), which enables

Adaptive multiple subtraction (AMS) is a critical and challenging task for multiple attenuation. Recently, pattern-learning-based AMS approaches, including pattern coding and decoding steps based on the ℓ2 norm, have achieved impressive results. However, the traditional pattern-learning approach might hurt the primaries under the minimum energy condition of the ℓ2-norm-based decoding. Thus, we adopt

Because the velocity errors are inevitable in field data applications, direct implementation of conventional least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) would generate defocused migration images. Extending the model domain has the potential to preserve the data information, and reducing the extended model could provide a final image with more continuous subsurface structures for geologic interpretation

Reverse time migration (RTM) is widely used in the industry because of its ability to handle complex geologic models including steeply dipping interfaces. The quality of images produced by RTM is significantly influenced by the performance of the numerical methods used to simulate the wavefields. Recently, a weighted Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (WRKDG) method has been developed to solve the

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) is a highly nonlinear and nonconvex problem. To mitigate the dependence of FWI on the quality of starting model and on the low frequencies in the data, we apply the gradient sampling algorithm (GSA) introduced for nonsmooth, nonconvex optimization problems to FWI. The search space is hugely expanded to have more freedom to accommodate large velocity errors in the starting

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) is a nonlinear optimization problem, and a typical optimization algorithm such as the nonlinear conjugate gradient or limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (LBFGS) would iteratively update the model mainly along the gradient-descent direction of the misfit function or a slight modification of it. Based on the concept of meta-learning, rather than using a hand-designed

Fractured reservoirs, as one kind of unconventional reservoirs, have great potential for oil and gas development, and their accurate characterization requires the development of rock-physics models that better simulate real fractured rocks. However, current models focus mainly on the elastic properties of rocks with aligned cracks, while the effects of randomly orienting cracks in transversely isotropic

Characterization of induced seismicity and associated microseismicity is an important challenge for enhanced oil recovery and development of tight hydrocarbon reservoirs. In particular, accurately correlating hypocenters of induced events to stratigraphic layers plays an important role in understanding the mechanisms of fault activation. Existing methods for estimating focal depth, however, are prone

Geologists’ interpretations about the earth typically involve distinct rock units with contacts between them. Three-dimensional geologic models typically comprise surfaces of tessellated polygons that represent the contacts. In contrast, geophysical inversions typically are performed on voxel meshes comprising space-filling elements. Standard minimum-structure voxel inversions recover smooth models

Subsurface petrophysical properties usually differ between different reservoirs, which affects lithology identification, especially for unconventional reservoirs. Thus, the lithology identification of subsurface reservoirs is a challenging task. Machine learning can be regarded as an effective method for using existing data for lithology prediction. By combining the hidden Markov model and random forests

We have developed a new Fourier-domain algorithm for the modeling of gravity effects caused by a vertical polyhedral prism. Simplified and more compact Fourier-domain expressions are derived for the vertical gravity anomaly on a 2D plane either above, in the middle of, or below the vertical polyhedral prism. A new Fourier-domain algorithm, which combines a low-order Gauss fast Fourier transform (FFT)

The shear-wave (S-wave) structures of shallow marine sediments are important for offshore geotechnical studies, deep crustal S-wave imaging, multicomponent seismic exploration, and underwater acoustics studies. We have applied the multicomponent Scholte-wave analysis technique to an active-source shallow marine seismic profile in the East China Sea. Scholte waves have been excited by shots from a 5450

We modeled cross-well strain/strain rate responses of fiber optic sensing, including distributed strain sensing (DSS) and low-frequency distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), to hydraulic stimulation. DSS and low-frequency DAS have been used to measure strain or the strain rate to characterize hydraulic fractures. However, the current application of DSS/DAS is limited to acquisition, processing, and qualitative

The reflection response of strongly scattering media often contains complicated interferences between primaries and (internal) multiples, which can lead to imaging artifacts unless handled correctly. Internal multiples can be kinematically predicted, for example by the Jakubowicz method or by the inverse scattering series (ISS), as long as monotonicity, that is, “correct” temporal event ordering, is

Electromagnetic (EM) telemetry is one of the key research subjects that has increased application in transmitting real-time data between the borehole and surface during drilling. There are several methods that can be used to model an EM telemetry system, including the method of moments (MoM) and the electric field integral equation method. We have developed a pulse basis function for the MoM, which

The relative dip angle and anisotropy of the anisotropic formation are generally determined through an inversion process. We have studied the responses of the novel transient multicomponent induction logging method and find that all of the components measured in the instrument coordinate system have the same decay with time. However, the cross component decays much faster than the coaxial or coplanar

Aligning seismic images is important in many areas of seismic processing such as time-lapse studies, tomography, and registration of compressional and shear-wave images. This problem is especially difficult when the misalignment is large and varies rapidly and when the images are not shifted versions of each other because they are either contaminated by noise or have different phase or frequency content

Seismic images can be viewed as photographs for underground rocks. These images can be generated from different reflections of elastic waves with different rock properties. Although the dominant seismic data processing is still based on the acoustic wave assumption, elastic wave processing and imaging have become increasingly popular in recent years. A major challenge in elastic wave processing is