Automatic traveltime picking using the instantaneous traveltime

Published as Geophysics, v. 78, T53-T58 (2013)

Automatic traveltime picking using the instantaneous traveltime

Christos Saragiotis, Tariq Alkhalifah, and Sergey Fomel
Physical Sciences and Engineering Division
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal 23955-6900
Saudi Arabia
Bureau of Economic Geology,
John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences
The University of Texas at Austin
University Station, Box X
Austin, TX 78713-8972
USA

Abstract:

Event picking is used in many steps of seismic processing. We present an automatic event picking method that is based on a new attribute of seismic signals, the instantaneous traveltime. The calculation of the instantaneous traveltime consists of two separate but interrelated stages. First, a trace is mapped onto the time-frequency domain. Then the time-frequency representation is mapped back onto the time domain by an appropriate operation. The computed instantaneous traveltime equals the recording time at those instances at which there is a seismic event, a feature that is used to pick the events. We analyze the concept of the instantaneous traveltime and demonstrate the application of our automatic picking method on dynamite and Vibroseis field data.

Automatic traveltime picking using the instantaneous traveltime