Synthetic seismic forward modeling of a high-frequency depositional sequence: The example of the Tiber depositional sequence (Central Italy)

Abstract

This research presents the results of a synthetic seismic forward modeling carried out by generating stacked sections of the stratigraphic-depositional architecture in the high-frequency Tiber Depositional Sequence (TDS) (Central Italy). The stacked sections were created using the seismo-acoustic approach provided in the geophysical codes developed by the CREWES consortium and modeled in Matlab. The models reproduce the seismic response of a sedimentary succession showing the upward transition from a wave-dominated estuary to a wave-dominated delta. The synthetic seismic sections reveal the subsurface structure and sedimentary architecture of the TDS, demonstrating the complexity of the sedimentary environments as well as the variation in lithology and petrophysical characteristics across the sections. The results demonstrate the ability of the seismo-acoustic approach to accurately model the seismic response of sedimentary facies in fluvial, coastal, and shelf environments, providing valuable information for exploring potential reservoir systems, with the TDS serving as an analog. In addition, the models identify several seismic facies and reflectors that can be interpreted as boundaries and surfaces of sequence-stratigraphic significance.