An efficient reverse time migration method using local nearly analytic discrete operator

Abstract

In recent years, reverse time migration (RTM), the most powerful depth imaging method, has become the preferred imaging tool in many geologic settings because of its ability to handle complex velocity models including steeply dipping interfaces. Finite difference is one of the most popular numerical methods applied in RTM in the industry. However, it often encounters a serious issue of numerical dispersion, which is typically suppressed by reducing the propagation grid sizes, resulting in large computation and memory increment. Recently, a nearly analytic discrete operator has been developed to approximate the partial differential operators, from which many antidispersion schemes have been proposed, and are confirmed to be superior to conventional algorithms in suppressing numerical dispersion. We apply an optimal nearly analytic discrete (ONAD) method to RTM to improve its accuracy and performance. Numerical results show that ONAD can be used effectively in seismic modeling and migration based on the full wave equations. This method produces little numerical dispersion and requires much less computation and memory compared to the traditional finite-difference methods such as Lax-Wendroff correction method. The reverse time migration results of the 2D Marmousi model and the Sigsbee2B data set show that ONAD can improve the computational efficiency and maintain image quality by using large extrapolation grids.