f Elastic inversion of a shallow seismic anomaly in the Southern Barents Sea

Seismic reflection profiles across many continental margins have demonstrated "bottom simulating reflectors" (BSRs). BSRs are reflectors with strong amplitudes, and are subparallel to the sea floor topography. Several causes for BSRs have been identified, among these are gas hydrate and silica phase changes. Free gas may be trapped underneath the gas hydrate and may be a potential source of energy. The identification of such shallow gas is also important to prevent hazards when drilling a well for deeper targets. We show that a full waveform elastic inversion of prestack seismic data can provide information defining lithologies and the fluid contents underneath the BSR.