Elastic Correlative Least-Squares Reverse Time Migration Based on Wave Mode Decomposition

The conventional elastic least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) generally inverts the parameter perturbation of the model rather than the reflectivity of reflected P- and S-modes, which leads to difficulty in directly interpreting the physical properties of the subsurface media. However, an accurate velocity model that is needed by the separation of seismic records of conventional LSRTM is usually unavailable in real data, which limits its application. In this study, we introduce a new practical correlative LSRTM (CLSRTM) scheme based on wave mode decomposition without amplitude and phase distortion, which frees from separation of seismic records. In this study, we deduced the migration and the de-migration operators using the decoupled P- and S-wave equations in heterogeneous media, which needs no extra wavefield decomposition in simulated data. To accelerate the convergence and improve the efficiency of the inversion, we adopted an analytical step-length formula that can be incidentally computed during the necessary de-migration process and the L-BFGS algorithm. Two numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed method can compensate the energy of deep structures, and generate clear images with balanced amplitudes and enhanced resolution even for the fault structures beneath the salt dome.

Automated summary

In this study, a new practical correlative LSRTM (CLSRTM) scheme based on wave mode decomposition without amplitude and phase distortion is introduced. Migration and de-migration operators are deduced using the decoupled P- and S-wave equations in heterogeneous media, which eliminates the need for extra wavefield decomposition in simulated data. The proposed method compensates the energy of deep structures, generates clear images with balanced amplitudes and enhanced resolution, and is capable of handling fault structures beneath the salt dome.