Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Frequency wavenumber approach of the tau-p transform: Some applications in seismic data processing

Journal Article · · Geophys. Prospect.; (United States)

The tau-rho transform is an invertible transformation of seismic shot records expressed as a function of time and offset into the tau (intercept time) and rho (ray parameter) domain. The tau-rho transform is derived from the solution of the wave equation for a point source in a three-dimensional, vertically non-homogeneous medium and therefore is a true amplitude process for the assumed model. The main advantage of this transformation is to present a point source shot record as a series of plane wave experiments. The asymptotic expansion of this transformation is found to be useful in reflection seismic data processing. The tau-rho and frequency-wavenumber (or f-k) processes are closely related. Indeed, the tau-rho process embodies the frequency-wavenumber transformation, so the use of this technique suffers the same limitations as the f-k technique. In particular, the wavefield must be sampled with sufficient spatial density to avoid wavenumber aliasing. The tau-rho transform may create artifacts (truncation and aliasing effects) which can be reduced by a finer spatial density of geophone groups by a balancing of the seismic data and by a tapering of the extremities of the seismic data.

Research Organization:
Daniel Geophysical, Inc., Security Life Building, 1616 Glenarm, Denver, CO 80202
OSTI ID:
5554741
Journal Information:
Geophys. Prospect.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Prospect.; (United States) Vol. 35:5; ISSN GPPRA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English