8. Case History 3 Seismic Modeling of an Imbricate Thrust Structure from the Foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Seismic Modeling of Complex Geological Structures

“…Fold geometry, internal structure complexity, highly dipping layers, and faulting associated with folding complicate the wave propagation (Alaei, 2005;Lines et al, 2000). Reflection seismic images from fold and thrust belts have frequently failed to give the correct picture of the subsurface structures when tested by drilled wells (Lingrey, 1991). Due to velocity and structural complexity, rays are bent and there are nonhyperbolic arrival times in addition to the hyperbolic arrival times.…”

“…Seismic image data quality of complex geological settings is often poor that the reliance on structural styles in complex geological settings is necessary in view of the fact that the quality of the seismic images of such settings is poor. Parts of the stratal geometry maybe clearly shown while other parts show either a lack or a confusing overabundance of reflection signals (Lingrey, 1991). Seismic modeling can be used to investigate the validity of models representing different structural styles and find the best match with the real seismic data (Alaei, 2006;Alaei & Petersen, 2007;Lingrey, 1991;Morse et al, 1991).…”