f Removal of Surface-Related Diffracted Multiples

Surface-related diffracted multiples can be a significant problem in marine data acquired over a rugose seafloor, or one streven with debris. These diffracted multiples correspond to seismic events involving diffraction at the sea-floor and downward reflection at the sea-surface, both diffraction and reflection occurring either singly or multiply. Because diffracted multiples have generally non-hyperbolic moveout, multiple removal techniques, short of ones fully consistent with the wave equation, fail to remove surface-related diffracted multiples. We demonstrate on a North Sea data set that the surface-related multiple elimination method, first proposed in 1-D form by Claerbout and Riley in 1976, and extended to 2-D and first successfully demonstrated on field data by Berkhout and Verschuur, does effectively remove surface-related diffracted multiples.