Wavelet estimation

Abstract

An important problem in seismic exploration is the estimation of and correction for the seismic wavelet. A seismic signal may be modeled as a convolutional model with the wavelet as one component. The wavelet propagated by the seismic energy source is complicated by transmission and recording filters. Some filters in the system can be deterministically defined while others are more conjectural. The estimation of the wavelet is useful in two major ways. Borehole measurements are used to model the surface seismograms. The wavelet used in the model needs to match that of the seismogram to correlate the two measurements. Conversely, the estimated wavelet can be used to design inverse filters which make the seismogram approach the borehole measures. Some well-known methods for estimation of the wavelet are based on assumptions about the wavelet or the earth reflectivity. Examples of the methods indicate success on some data even though each makes different assumptions. The methods serve to point out basic problems in reliably estimating the wavelet from the seismogram. Basic problems include noise, band-limiting, nonstationarity, uncertain theoretical models, assumption failure, and widely diverse geological sequences of the earth. Quality control or evaluation of the performance of an estimation algorithm is a nontrivial problem. The estimation of the wavelet from a seismic recording remains an area of challenging research and importance in exploration for hydrocarbons.