Stratigraphic Filtering and Source Penetration Depth

Seismic exploration in highly heterogeneous media is beset by challenges. Multiple scattering in a layer with large velocity fluctuations may prevent penetration of seismic energy thereby effectively shielding any potential exploration targets that lie underneath. Examples include the Atlantic Margin in northwest Europe where areas with abundant basaltic flows exist that blanket underlying sedimentary layers and potential reservoirs underneath coral reefs or sequences of coal layers that are often opaque to seismic illumination.