Geological Surface Smoothing via Dip Value Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surface smoothing methods in seismic imaging introduce distortions and incoherent stacking due to changes in surface position, making it difficult to control the smoothness of geological surfaces and affecting travel time, phase, and amplitudes in seismic energy propagation.
Innovation Solution
The method involves smoothing dip values of geological surfaces within an earth model without altering the surface position, using a system that processes dip values as vectors to determine reflection and refraction behaviors, thereby maintaining the surface's positional integrity and enhancing coherency in ray tracing and imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional surface smoothing methods are used to smooth geological surfaces, then surface smoothness is improved, but surface position changes causing distortions in travel time, phase, and amplitudes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the smoothing operation into two independent components: surface position (depth values) and surface orientation (dip values). By applying smoothing only to dip values while keeping positions fixed, the method achieves surface smoothness improvement without the positional distortions that would otherwise corrupt travel time, phase, and amplitude information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the dip value component from the complete surface definition and applies smoothing operations selectively to this extracted component. This allows the smoothing effect to be applied independently to surface orientation without affecting surface position, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving smoothness and preserving positional accuracy.
2Reliability
If dip values are smoothed without altering surface position, then coherency in ray tracing is improved, but control over surface smoothness becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different smoothing characteristics to different locations by using a moving window approach where the smoothing radius can vary spatially. This allows local adjustment of smoothness control while maintaining overall ray tracing coherency, resolving the complexity issue through localized rather than global smoothing parameters.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex geological surfaces with large velocity contrast are present, then seismic imaging detail is improved, but incoherent stacking occurs due to diffracted ray energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dip value parameters of the geological surface to reduce abrupt orientation changes while preserving the underlying complex geometry. By modifying these parameters through controlled smoothing, the method reduces diffracted ray energy and improves stacking coherency without sacrificing the imaging detail provided by complex surface structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach improves the coherency of seismic imaging by maintaining the surface's position and reducing distortions, allowing for more accurate reconstruction of wave turns and enhanced image quality through coherent ray tracing.
Implementation Method 1
determine normal dips of a set of polygons and vertices that define a given surface within an earth model... determine a dip value for a given location on the surface... determining various characteristics of rays within the earth model based on the positional coordinates... reflection and refraction of propagating seismic energy
Implementation Method 2
determine normal dips of a set of polygons and vertices that define a given surface within an earth model... determine a dip value for a given location on the surface... determining various characteristics of rays within the earth model based on the positional coordinates... reflection and refraction of propagating seismic energy
Data Source
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AI summary
Surfaces may be smoothed within an earth model of a geological volume of interest. More specifically, smoothing may be done on a specific surface by smoothing or otherwise altering dip values without changing the position of the surface within the earth model. Dip values may determine certain behaviors of a surface such as reflection and refraction of seismic energy propagating within the earth model.