Robust, efficient three-dimensional finite-difference traveltime calculations
US5394325A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 11, 1994 |
| Grant date | Feb 28, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 11, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V2210/67
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Presented is a process for use in the area of geophysical data processing, for computing a three dimensional grid of traveltimes from a three dimensional grid of velocities. The process involves a finite-difference solution to the eikonal equation in spherical coordinates, with refinements which increase the stability of the calculation and cope with numerical roundoff error as well as turned ray problems. The resulting three dimensional grid is not only useful in itself in providing information regarding the subsurface, but also can be used in depth migration, velocity analysis (especially three dimensional tomography) and in raytracing (leading to modeling of synthetic seismograms, three dimensional traveltime inversion, and map migration). This method is preferably executed on a computer, and can be performed either on a mainframe or on a massively parallel processor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.