Introduction to Seismic •nversion Methods Brian Russell
PART I - INTRODUCTION
Part 1 - Introduction Page 1 - 1
Introduction to Seismic Inversion Methods Brian Russell
I NTRODUCT
,
ION TO SEI SMIC INVERSION METHODS
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Part i - Introduction _ . .
This course is intended as an overview of the current techniques used in
the inversion of seismic data. It would therefore seemappropriate to begin
by defining what is meant by seismic inversion. The most general definition
is as fol 1 ows'
Geophysical inversion involves mapping the physical structure and
properties of the subsurface of the earth using measurementsmadeon
the surface of the earth.
The above definition is so broad that it encompassesvirtually all the
work that is done in seismic analysis and interpretation. Thus, in this
course we shall primarily 'restrict our discussion to those inversion methods
which attempt to recover a broadband pseudo-acoustic impedance log from a
band-1 imi ted sei smic trace.
Another way to look at inversion is to consider it as the technique for
creating a model of the earth using the seismic data as input. As such, it
can be considered as the opposite of the forwar• modelling technique, which
involves creating a synthetic seismic section based on a model of the earth
(or, in the simplest case, using a sonic log as a one-dimensional model). The
relationship between forward and inverse modelling is shownin Figure 1.1.
To understandseismic inversion, we must first understandthe physical
processes involved in the creation of seismic data. Initially, we will
therefore look at the basic convolutional model of the seismic trace in the
time and frequencydomains,consideringthe three components
of this model:
reflectivity, seismic wavelet, and noise.
_ m i --.
Part I - Introduction Page 1 - 2
Introduction to Seismic InverSion Methods Brian Russell
FORWARDMODELL
I NG INVERSEMODELLING(INVERSION)
, ß ß _
_
i m ß
Input'
EARTH
MODEL
Process: MODELLING INVERSION
ALGORITHM ALGORITHM
Output' SEISMIC RESPONSE
i m mlm ii EARTH
MODEL i ii
Figure1.1 Fo.•ard
' andsInverse
Model,ling
Part I - Introduction Page I - 3
Introduction. to Seismic Inversion Methods Brian l•ussel 1
Once we have an understanding of these concepts and the problems which
can occur, we are in a position to
ß
look at the methodswhich are currently
used to invert seismic data. These methods are summarizedin Figure 1.2. The
primary emphasis of the course will be on poststack seismic inversion where
o
the ultimate resul.t, as was previously Oiscussed, is a pseudo-impeaance
section.
We will start by looking at the most contanonmethods of poststack
inversion, which are based on single trace recursion. To better unUerstand
these recurslye inversion procedures, it is important to look at the
relationship between aleconvolution anU inversion, and how Uependent each
method is on the deconvolution scheme Chosen. Specifically, we will consider
classical "whitening" aleconvolutionmethods, wavelet extraction methods, and
the newer sparse-spike deconvolution methods such as Maximum-likelihood
deconvolution and the L-1 norm metboa.
Another important type of inversion methodwhich will be aiscussed is
model-based inversion, where a geological moael is iteratively upUatedto finU
the best fit with the seismic data. After this, traveltime inversion, or
tomography,will be discussedalong with several illustrative examples.
After the discussion on poststack inversion, we shall move into the realm
of pretstack. These methoUs,still fairly new, allow us to extract parameters
other than impedance, such as density and shear-wave velocity.
Finally, we will aiscuss the geological aUvantages anU limitations of
each seismic inversion roethoU,looking at examples of each.
Part 1 - Introduction Page i -
Introduction to SelsmicInversion Methods Brian Russell
SEI SMI
C I NV
ERSI
ON
.MET•OS,,,
POSTSTACK PRESTACK
INVERSION INVERSION
i i --
I RECURSIVEWAV
MODEL-BASED
INVERSION
EF
IEL
D
• ,INVESION
TRAVELTIME
INVERSION
LINEAR
NVERSIOUMETHODS
i
,,
I METHODS
]
!TOMOGRAPHY)
- "NARROWSPARSE-
BAND
SPIKE
Figure 1.2 A summaryof current inversion techniques.
Part 1 - Introuuction Page 1 -
