Patent Document ID: 4422165
Application ID: 06233541
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of seismic exploration by determining the ratio of the velocities of compressional and shear waves in subterranean formations comprising the steps of: recording the output of one or more detectors of seismic energy with respect to both compressional and shear waves emitted from a single source and reflected from similar points defining an interval of interest in the earth's subterranean scructure as a function of time; stretching the record of the compressional wave with respect to time by a predetermined stretch ratio; measuring the correlation of wave shape between the stretched record of the compressional wave and the record of the shear wave; recording the accuracy of the correlation; modifying the stretch ratio; re-performing said steps of stretching, correlating and recording; repeating said steps of changing the stretch ratio, stretching, correlating and recording; and selecting that stretch ratio which maximizes the correlation between the stretched compressional wave and the unstretched shear wave as the ratio of the velocities of compressional waves and shear waves in said interval of interest.