Image‐domain wavefield tomography for tilted transversely isotropic media

Abstract

Transversely isotropic models with a tilted symmetry axis have become standard for imaging beneath dipping shale formations and in active tectonic areas. Here, we develop a methodology of wave‐equation‐based image‐domain tomography for acoustic tilted transversely isotropic media. We obtain the gradients of the objective function using an integral wave‐equation operator based on a separable dispersion relation that takes the symmetry‐axis tilt into account. In contrast to the more conventional differential solutions, the integral operator produces only the P‐wavefield without shear‐wave artefacts, which facilitates both imaging and velocity analysis. The model is parameterized by the P‐wave zero‐dip normal‐moveout velocity, the Thomsen parameter δ, anellipticity coefficient η and the symmetry‐axis tilt θ. Assuming that the symmetry axis is orthogonal to reflectors, we study the influence of parameter errors on energy focusing in extended (space‐lag) common‐image gathers. Distortions in the anellipticity coefficient η introduce weak linear defocusing regardless of reflector dip, whereas δ influences both the energy focusing and depth scale of the migrated section. These results, which are consistent with the properties of the P‐wave time‐domain reflection moveout in tilted transversely isotropic media, provide important insights for implementation of velocity model‐building in the image‐domain. Then the algorithm is tested on a modified anticline section of the BP 2007 benchmark model.