Non-iterative multiple-attenuation methods: linear inverse solutions to non-linear inverse problems - II. BMG approximation

Abstract

The classical linear solutions to the problem of multiple attenuation, like predictive deconvolution, τ−p filtering, or F-K filtering, are generally fast, stable, and robust compared to non-linear solutions, which are generally either iterative or in the form of a series with an infinite number of terms. These qualities have made the linear solutions more attractive to seismic data-processing practitioners. However, most linear solutions, including predictive deconvolution or F-K filtering, contain severe assumptions about the model of the subsurface and the class of free-surface multiples they can attenuate. These assumptions limit their usefulness. In a recent paper, we described an exception to this assertion for OBS data. We showed in that paper that a linear and non-iterative solution to the problem of attenuating free-surface multiples which is as accurate as iterative non-linear solutions can be constructed for OBS data. We here present a similar linear and non-iterative solution for attenuating free-surface multiples in towed-streamer data. For most practical purposes, this linear solution is as accurate as the non-linear ones.