A More Accurate Attenuation Estimation Method Based on Centroid Frequency

Abstract

In this paper, we develop a novel method for Q extraction from attenuation seismic data. According to the centroid frequency of attenuation signal, we can derive an equation including only one independent variable, the Q factor. The equation can be solved numerically using bisection method, whose solution is just the desired Q. Like the centroid frequency shift (CFS) method, our new method holds the merit that it’s relatively insensitive to geometric spreading, reflection and transmission effects, source and receiver coupling and radiation patterns, and instrument responses. Most important of all, unlike CFS, there’s no assumption about the shape of wavelet spectrum which may bring large systematic error for Q evaluation since real amplitude spectra are usually complicated. Therefore the proposed method will give more accurate estimation than CFS method. Modeling tests and field data application confirms the validity and robustness of the presented approach.