Elastic wavefield directionality vectors

Abstract:

The direction of energy propagation at every point in a wavefield propagated using an elastic finite-difference method can be deduced from the displacement vectors. The pressure-wave amplitude and displacements can be separated from the shear-wave amplitude and displacements using a separation operator. Amplitude separation can be used to create a more informative image by correctly imaging converted waves. Displacement separation enables calculation of the propagation direction, which can be used to create angle gathers without utilizing extended imaging conditions.