Coherent noise suppression in velocity inversion

William W. Symes

ABSTRACT

Data components with well-defined moveout other than primary reflections are sometimes called coherent noise. Coherent noise makes velocity analysis ambiguous, since no single velocity function explains incompatible moveouts simultaneously. Contemporary data processing treats the control of coherent noise influence on velocity as an interpretive step. Dual regularization theory suggests an alternative, automatic inversion algorithm for suppression of coherent noise when primary reflection phases dominate the data. Experiments with marine data illustrate the robustness and effectiveness of the algorithm.