Extended common-image-point gathers for anisotropic imaging with blended sources

In regions characterized by complex geology, the accuracy of imaging is controlled by the quality of the Earth model used to simulate wave propagation in the subsurface (Gray et al., 2001). Thus, accurate model building is a critical prerequisite for imaging of the interior of the Earth. This requirement is even more stringent in regions characterized by strong anisotropy. Furthermore, it is important to construct subsurface velocity models using techniques that are consistent with the methods used for imaging. As reported in the recent literature, in the context of wavefield-based imaging, there are two main strategies that can be used for velocity estimation from surface seismic data. Those methods can be separated into two groups: data space methods, which operate by matching the recorded data with simulated data, and image space methods, which operate by correcting image features that indicate model inaccuracies (Sava et al., 2010).