3D Prestack Fourier Mixed-Domain (FMD) depth migration for VTI media with large lateral contrasts

• Main Authors: Zhao, Hao, Gelius, Leiv J., Tygel, Martin, Nilsen, Espen Harris, Evensen, Andreas Kjelsrud
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: arXiv 2019
• Subjects: Geophysics physics.geo-ph; Computational Physics physics.comp-ph; FOS Physical sciences; Barents Sea; Hess
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1906.07474; https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.07474

Although many 3D One-Way Wave-equation Migration (OWEM) methods exist for VTI media, most of them struggle either with the stability, the anisotropic noise or the computational cost. In this paper we present a new method based on a mixed space- and wavenumber-propagator that overcome these issues very effectively as demonstrated by the examples. The pioneering methods of phase-shift (PS) and Stolt migration in the frequency-wavenumber domain designed for laterally homogeneous media have been followed by several extensions for laterally inhomogeneous media. Referred many times to as phase-screen or generalized phase-screen methods, such extensions include as main examples of the Split-step Fourier (SSF) and the phase-shift plus interpolation (PSPI). To further refine such phase-screen techniques, we introduce a higher-order extension to SSF valid for a 3D VTI medium with large lateral contrasts in vertical velocity and anisotropy parameters. The method is denoted Fourier Mixed-Domain (FMD) prestack depth migration and can be regarded as a stable explicit algorithm. The FMD technique was tested using the 3D SEG/EAGE salt model and the 2D anisotropic Hess model with good results. Finally, FMD was applied with success to a 3D field data set from the Barents Sea including anisotropy. : Accepted article in Journal of Applied Geophysics