Prestack Partial Migration Analysis

Alexander M. Popovici

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ABSTRACT

Prestack partial migration (PSPM) is a well-known process which transforms the prestack data to zero offset. I discuss several properties of the PSPM spreading operator and of the equivalent PSPM summation operator reflected by a transformation of coordinates from (x, t) domain to (p, $\tau$) domain, where p=2dt/dx and $\tau$ is the NMO correction. This transformation allows for a more general representation for the PSPM operator and can explain the apparition of triplications in the DMO curve in a variable velocity medium. Then I attempt to find a partial differential equation formulation for the PSPM operator in the family of first order partial differential equations using as characteristics the curves defined by the new transformation of coordinates.