Elastic least-squares one-way wave-equation migration

Abstract

Least-squares migration seeks a reflectivity model that fits the observed data. It is used to compensate for acquisition noise, poor sampling of sources and receivers on the surface, as well as poor illumination of the subsurface. To date, least-squares migration has been mainly restricted to the imaging of acoustic wavefields. We have developed an extension of one-way wave-equation least-squares migration for elastic wavefields in isotropic media. Least-squares migration is an iterative method that requires a forward and an adjoint operator. In elastic least-squares one-way wave-equation migration, the forward operator generates data components from multiparameter images by recursive wavefield decomposition, extrapolation, and recomposition. Conversely, the adjoint operator generates multiparameter images from data components by recursively applying the adjoint of the wavefield recomposition, extrapolation, and wavefield decomposition operators. We use an extended imaging condition and regularize the inversion by applying a smoothing filter on the depth-angle axes of each common image point gather to reduce the effect of source/receiver sampling, noise, and crosstalk artifacts. Elastic least-squares migration is able to compensate for irregular subsurface illumination in elastic imaging and provides an alternative approach to interpolation and wavefield separation of multicomponent seismic data.