Broadband constant-coefficient propagators |
| |
| Authors: | Li-Yun Fu |
| |
| Institution: | Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China |
| |
| Abstract: | The phase error between the real phase shift and the Gazdag background phase shift, due to lateral velocity variations about a reference velocity, can be decomposed into axial and paraxial phase errors. The axial phase error depends only on velocity perturbations and hence can be completely removed by the split‐step Fourier method. The paraxial phase error is a cross function of velocity perturbations and propagation angles. The cross function can be approximated with various differential operators by allowing the coefficients to vary with velocity perturbations and propagation angles. These variable‐coefficient operators require finite‐difference numerical implementation. Broadband constant‐coefficient operators may provide an efficient alternative that approximates the cross function within the split‐step framework and allows implementation using Fourier transforms alone. The resulting migration accuracy depends on the localization of the constant‐coefficient operators. A simple broadband constant‐coefficient operator has been designed and is tested with the SEG/EAEG salt model. Compared with the split‐step Fourier method that applies to either weak‐contrast media or at small propagation angles, this operator improves wavefield extrapolation for large to strong lateral heterogeneities, except within the weak‐contrast region. Incorporating the split‐step Fourier operator into a hybrid implementation can eliminate the poor performance of the broadband constant‐coefficient operator in the weak‐contrast region. This study may indicate a direction of improving the split‐step Fourier method, with little loss of efficiency, while allowing it to remain faster than more precise methods such as the Fourier finite‐difference method. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
