Thickness inversion for thin layers

Abstract

Thin layers occur almost everywhere in the subsurface of the earth. the thickness of thin layers is a useful parameter for the studies of coal seams and the description of petroleum reservoirs with thin layer. On the basis of widess and Voogd’ s theories concering thin layers, we proposed two methods regarding thickness inversion of thin layers. The first method for thickness of thin layer is based on the analysis of amplitude spectrum of wavelet and the second is by the utilization of the total energy of amplitude spectrum of wavelet. We have also studied the responses of a single thin layer and interbedded thin layers, our examples have demonstrated that the response is only related to the thickness of thin layers, without regard to the thickness of sandwiches imbedded in thin layers. Their practicability has been confirmed by graphic analysis with both a single thin layer model and an interbedded thin layer model. Results have shown their effectiveness theoretically.