Computation of synthetic seismograms by the method of characteristics

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:5376325

Castro, L R

The synthetic seismogram has been used for several years in geophysical prospecting to obtain the response of structural and stratigraphic geologic models. Various numerical schemes such as finite element and finite difference techniques have been used to model the subsurface. An alternate approach to the solution of wave propagation problems is the method of characteristics, a numerical scheme which reduces the governing hyperbolic partial differential equations to ordinary differential equations valid along characteristic lines. In this study the method of characteristics is applied to one-dimensional stress wave propagation problems of exploration interest. The technique is used to compute synthetic seismograms from dry and saturated media. Several seismograms computed from dry, elastic and viscoelastic near surface models are compared to data recorded by various types of receivers. The characteristics method is also used to obtain a solution to Biot's equations for wave propagation in saturated media. Synthetic seismograms are computed from various core and reservoir models saturated with different types of fluids. The computed seismograms are used to study the effect of variable reservoir conditions on a seismic wavelet.

• Research Organization: Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5376325
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580201* -- Geophysics-- Seismology & Tectonics-- (1980-1989)
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
EXPLORATION
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
ITERATIVE METHODS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
SEISMIC ARRAYS
SEISMIC DETECTORS
SEISMOGRAPHS
SEISMOLOGY
SURVEYS
USES
WAVE PROPAGATION