Finite-difference calculation of traveltimes

Jos van Trier

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ABSTRACT

The Eikonal equation can be transformed into a flux-conservative equation, which can then be solved with standard finite-difference techniques. A first-order upwind finite-difference scheme proves accurate enough for seismic applications. The method is limited to rays traveling in one direction, and only calculates single-valued traveltime functions. The algorithm efficiently calculates traveltimes on a regular grid, and is useful in Kirchhoff migration and modeling.