Velocity Analysis

NORMAL MOVEOUT - dipping layer

The NMO velocity for a dipping layer yields higher velocity

than that for a horizontal layer. Dip Move Out (DMO) or Pre-
Stack Time Migration (PSTM) needs to be done to get correct
velocities.
 Dip Move Out Correction
 NMO ensures non zero offset to zero offset conversion in the
absence of dipping layers. In the presence of dips, the estimated
stacking velocity will be :
V* = V/Cosine(Alfa), where
V* = dip corrupted velocity,
V = actual velocity and
Alfa = dip angle (measured wrt horizontal).
Ti**2 = To**2 + Xi**2/V**2 – (Xi*Sin (Alfa))**2 /V**2
 The term (Xi*Sin (Alfa))**2 /V**2 is the Dip Move Out term.
 DMO correction (or Pre-stack Migration) aims to convert non-
zero offset traces to zero offset for dipping events.
 Effect of dips in processing

1. Increases stacking velocity by 1/cos(theta)

2. Hence interval velocity computed from
Stacking velocities on gathers without
Correction for dip effects become unreliable
3..Features such as pinch-outs & faults where
events with more than one dip value
are not resolved properly. ……(Contd)
DMO
4. Dips also distort the image due to
smearing of reflected points, and
require DMO or PSTM for correction.

Horizontal Reflector

CMP = CDP: Reflections recorded in traces

in a CMP gather with different offsets come
from a Common Depth point (CDP)

Dipping Reflector

CMP CDP Reflections recorded in traces

in a CMP gather with different offsets come
from different depth points.
 What is DMO & how is it different
from NMO?
• NMO converts a finite offset trace to what
would have been at zero-offset if the reflector
were flat and horizontal.
• DMO converts NMO corrected traces to
zero-offset positions even in presence of dips
• NMO moves events only vertically; DMO
moves events both vertically and laterally in
updip direction.
 Image point Zero-off
O SP point CMP RP
DM

PSTM = NMO
+ DMO +
Zero-offset
Stack Migration
(for a constant
PS velocity)
T M
NMO corr.
 What does DMO achieve?

• Velocity analysis done on DMO corrected

data are free from dip effects
• Resolves conflicting dips
• Correctly positions events to zero-offset
locations laterally updip
• Removes CDP smear and hence focusses the
events more clearly.
• Note that the need for DMO decreases with
Increasing depth and velocities.
 Illustrations of DMO on Field
examples

See Yilmaz vol 1, figure 5.2.2(p40)

To figure 5.2.14 (p 50)