Thin‐layer response and spectral bandwidth

Abstract

A derivation is presented of the response of an embedded thin layer to a vertically incident seismic pulse. The reflected pulse has the shape of the time derivative of the incident‐wavelet, and its amplitude is proportional to the two‐way traveltime in the thin layer and to a factor depending upon the ratio of acoustic impedances. The influence of spectral bandwidth on interface resolution and thin‐layer response is investigated by means of zero‐phase signals, and a filtering philosophy is proposed which enables thickness estimation either from amplitude or from peak‐to‐trough time.