Application of the Stacked Refraction Convolution Section to 2D Ocean Bottom Seismometer Wide-angle Seismic Data Along the Tamayo Through Basin, Gulf of California

Abstract

The stacked refraction convolution section can be used as an interpretation tool in wide-angle refraction seismic data generated by air gun shooting and recorded by Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS). The refraction convolution section is a full-wave extension of the Generalized Reciprocal Method (GRM), a method frequently used in shallow refraction seismic interpretation, but not applied to deep crustal-scale studies. The sum of the travel times of the waves refracted in the same interface and recorded in a pair of forward and reverse profiles, time-corrected by the reciprocal time, is an estimation close to the two-way travel times of the multichannel seismic reflection sections, but with seismic rays illuminating the interfaces upwards. The sum of seismic traces is obtained with the convolution section. Furthermore, several pairs of convolved forward-reverse refraction recordings of the same area can be stacked together to improve the signal to noise ratio. To show the applicability of the refraction convolution section in OBS deep data, we interpreted the basement structure of the Tamayo Through Basin in the southern Gulf of California, offshore Mexico. We compared the results with both, a multichannel seismic section recorded in the same profile, and the previous interpretations of the same wide-angle seismic data modeled with ray tracing and tomography methods. The basement imaged by the stacked refraction convolution section is similar in geometry to that obtained by seismic reflection processing. The stacked refraction convolution section identifies the full extent of the basement and confirms the location of a nearly constant thickness volcanic layer in the northwestern half of the basin. However, only a small area of volcanic deposits is found in the shallower parts of the southwestern margin. We also show that the convolution process can be used to estimate the occurrence of lateral variations of seismic velocities in the basement, as a further application of the GRM to deep refraction data.