New tools for seismic stratigraphic interpretation: Stratal convergence and instantaneous isochron attribute cubes derived from volumetric flattening of experimental strata

Abstract

Interpreting seismic data requires inferences to be made from the geometry, character, and spatial association of seismic reflections. Seismic attributes that highlight such associations are essential for understanding basin-fill histories. In this article, we describe two novel attributes obtained from an automatic full-volume-flattening algorithm and apply them to a synthetic seismic volume of experimental strata. The stratal convergence attribute colors reflections according to their degree of convergence, which is commonly high in areas where strata thin because of erosion or nondeposition. The instantaneous isochron attribute measures thickness between reflections and is therefore generally proportional to sediment accumulation rate. These attributes distinguish bounding surfaces and depocenter migration in well-constrained experimental strata. By showing the diagnostic value of each attribute, our study motivates field-based applications of full-volume flattening and attribute co-rendering for seismic stratigraphic interpretation.