Mirror tomography of sparse ocean‐bottom seismometer data: Two‐dimensional synthetic studies

Abstract

AbstractFirst‐arrival travel‐time tomography is frequently used in ocean‐bottom seismometer surveys for estimating subsurface velocity. However, due to a lack of seismometer stations or ray sampling, the tomographic images’ spatial resolution and quality are typically low. Inspired by the multiple imaging of ocean‐bottom seismometer data, in this study, I developed a mirror tomography method to incorporate the travel times of refraction multiples in first‐arrival travel‐time tomography. Specifically, the travel times of refraction multiples were treated as virtual first‐arrival travel times from the mirror positions of the stations. This technique enhances ray coverage and stabilizes the inversion. I confirmed that the travel times of refraction multiples were consistent with the first‐arrival travel times calculated using numerical modelling at the mirror position of the station. Synthetic examples showed that the mirror tomography scheme may enhance ray coverage and model resolution. Mirror tomography may compensate for the uneven distribution of travel‐time picks caused by the loss of the ocean‐bottom seismometer.