f Objective Functions for Full Waveform Inversion

Seismic full waveform inversion as conventionally formulated imposes very strict constraints on data acquisition: high signal-to-noise at very low frequencies and/or very long offsets. In this workshop presentation, I will explain how some of these constraints arise in the mathematics of wave propagation, and describe some alternative optimization formulations of seismic inversion, which may allow fitting of less constrained data. The extreme heterogeneity of the earth’s sedimentary crust still poses many unresolved challenges for inversion.