Abstract
The Rub’ Al-Khali basin in Saudi Arabia remains unexplored and lacks data availability due to its remoteness and the challenging nature of its terrain. Thus far, there are neither digital geologic models nor synthetic seismic data from this specific area accessible for testing research techniques and analysis. In this study, we build a 2D viscoelastic model of the eastern part of the Rub’ Al-Khali basin and generate a corresponding dual-component seismic data set. We compile high-resolution depth models of compressional- and shear-wave velocities, density, as well as compressional- and shear-wave quality factors from published data. The compiled models span Neoproterozoic basement up to Quaternary sand dunes. We then use the finite-difference technique to model the propagation of seismic waves in the compiled viscoelastic medium of eastern Rub’ Al-Khali desert. In particular, we generate vertical and horizontal components of the shot gathers with accuracy to the fourth and second orders in space and time, respectively. The viscoelastic models and synthetic seismic datasets are made available in an open-source site for prospective re-searchers who desire to use them for their research. Users of these datasets are urged to make their findings also accessible to the geoscience community as a way of keeping track of developments related to the Rub’ Al-Khali desert.
Highlights
Received: 4 December 2020Numerical modeling of seismic wave propagation is a powerful way to understand real seismic data acquired in an area, because these methods closely simulate seismic waves from their generation at the source until recording at the receiver
Seismic numerical modeling is best done in a 3D sense in order to closely simulate wave propagation in 3D
Regardless of the simulation method, increasing levels of wave equation complexity can be used to model seismic wave propagation depending on how realistic the depth model is
Summary
Numerical modeling of seismic wave propagation is a powerful way to understand real seismic data acquired in an area, because these methods closely simulate seismic waves from their generation at the source until recording at the receiver. In comparison with the UAE part, Rub’ Al-Khali basin in Saudi Arabia remains unexplored and lacks openly available data due to its remoteness and the challenging desert conditions. We build a 2D viscoelastic model of the eastern Rub’ Al-Khali, which is close to the border of the UAE (Figure 1B) and generate the associated dual-component seismic data sets. Sci. 2021, 11, 1401 locity (Vs ), Density (ρ), P-wave quality factor (Qp ), and S-wave quality factor (Qs ) that cover Neoproterozoic basement to Quaternary sand are first compiled from available literature [24] These models are subsequently utilized in generating the 2D synthetic viscoelastic dual-component seismic data sets that include vertical component data and horizontal component data recorded by surface geophones using a conventional 2D acquisition geometry. The synthetic seismic data sets are saved in SEGY files, while horizons and faults are saved in a CSV text file
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