Seismic Inversion: What it is, and What it is Not

Seismic inversion is an ill-posed problem. All currently used inversion algorithms are at best approximations. As a result, we face the problem that many models of the subsurface give raise to synthetic data, all of which fit the data within a given measure of error. It is the job of the experienced seismic interpreter to choose among this set of well-fitting models those that are geologically most plausible, given the interpreter’s experience and prior geological knowledge of the area being explored.