Accurate determination of seismic velocities from non-hyperbolic move-out using ray-tracing

The accurate determination of seismic velocities requires a new approach to velocity analysis. In many areas of geological interest the assumptions underlying conventional velocity analysis fail; the raypaths cannot be taken as being straight, and lateral variation of the velocity structure becomes significant. Seismic reflection datasets collected in such areas often feature moveout with offset curves which are not hyperbolae. This leads to ambiguity in the determined stacking velocities and hence in the derived interval velocities.