Power-gradient velocity model

Abstract

A proposed power-gradient velocity model incorporates several well-known velocity models as special cases. The model covers a wide range of possible velocity distributions and has four parameters, giving more flexibility in velocity-model manipulation. For this nonlinear model, the kinematic characteristics — offset-traveltime parameteric equations, traveltime parameters, relative geometric spreading, and propagator phase — are computed. The characteristics are investigated with respect to a parameter responsible for nonlinearity of velocity distribution. The inversion of travel-time parameters was studied in three- and four-parameter frameworks.