Patent ID: 9091786
Filing Date: 2015-07-28
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A method for modeling a near-surface earth formation comprising: acquiring seismic information; building a near-surface model with an assigned velocity to a region above the topography and an assigned velocity to a region below the topography; applying signal processing to the seismic information; performing a prestack depth migration of the signal-processed seismic information using a range of constant velocities assigned to the region below the topography; obtaining a set of depth images for the near-surface formation; combining the depth images and scanning the depth images to capture a layer boundary between the near-surface formation and a subsurface formation based on a highest image amplitude criterion; selecting the layer boundary; extracting a horizon-consistent interval velocity as a function of space; and assigning the horizon-consistent interval velocity function to the region below the topography and building an effective velocity field for the near-surface formation.