AN ANALYSIS OF STACKING, RMS, AVERAGE, AND INTERVAL VELOCITIES OVER A HORIZONTALLY LAYERED GROUND *

A correct derivation of rms, average and interval velocities from one another and from common depth point stacking velocities requires a clear understanding of the relationships between these velocities. We relate the average velocity to the rms velocity through a “heterogeneity factor” which is a quantity that gives a measure of the degree of velocity heterogeneity in the ground. The interval velocity is a quantity which varies according to the method of its derivation. The difference between rms and stacking velocities depends on the heterogeneity factor and on the length of the spread. Unless allowed for, this difference can reverse the advantages of long spreads and cause large errors in interval velocity determinations. It may be removed through a number of techniques. The accuracy of stacking velocities in the presence of random “noise” is independent of the heterogeneity factor. Relevant expressions can be broken down into simple formulae which give the accuracy quickly and with good precision.