What Is Seismic Resolution?

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Seismic Resolution The definition of the term thin bed involves the concept of the resolving power (Widess, 1973) thus seismics is impacted by resolution. Most geological structures have a smaller vertical dimension than a horizontal one (Chang et al, 1996), thus, the ratio of the vertical dimensions plays a very important role in seismic resolution. As the dimension ratio decreases, the difficulty in identifying geological events increases and become more challenging (Chang et al, 1916). Sheriff, (1991) defines Seismic resolution as the ability to separate two features that are very close together; the minimum separation of the bodies before their identifies are lost. It is seen as the minimum distance between two events that can be seen …show more content…

Seismic vertical resolution relates how for apart two interface must be to distinguish separate reflections from them. It can also be defined to be how thick a bed must be to allow distinguishable reflection from the bed’s top and bottom, thus two vertically seismic features can be resolved separately (Paola et al, 2011). Based on the analysis of the amplitude tuning effect in a single bed reflection, Widess (1971) defines vertical resolution as one quarter of the seismic wavelength, where the bed thickness is less than one quarter of the seismic wavelength. Below tuning thickness (ʎ/4) individual beds will not be resolved. Vertical resolution can be enhanced by higher frequencies, high bandwidth and reduced wavelength (Sheriff, 1991). Vertical resolution decreases with depth because higher frequencies are attenuated with depth. The deconvolation operation improves vertical …show more content…

Widess in his work, consider a bed to be a ‘thin’ bed when the thickness is about 1/8, one - eighth of the predominant wavelength, computed using the velocity of the bed. A bed is thin at about ʎ/8 where a complex waveform across it does not differ significantly from the derivative of the convolving wavelet itself. Its’ composite waveform stabilizes. The apparent thickness is actually put at ʎ/4.6 which is the peak – to – trough time of the derivative of a Ricker wavelet (Kallweit and Wood, 1982). Rayleigh criterion of peak – to – trough separation at one – quarter wavelength (ʎ/4) is more workable and a more widely accepted definition of resolution limit (Kallweit and Wood,

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