Higher‐order moveout spectra

Higher‐order terms in the generalized seismic reflection moveout equation are usually neglected, resulting in the familiar second‐order, or hyperbolic, moveout equation. Modeling studies show that the higher‐order terms are often significant, and their neglect produces sizable traveltime residuals after correction for moveout in such cases as kinked‐ray models. Taner and Koehler (1969) introduced velocity spectra for estimating stacking velocity defined on the basis of second‐order moveout. Through the use of orthogonal polynomials, an iterative procedure is defined that permits computation of fourth‐order moveout spectra while simultaneously upgrading the previously computed, second‐order spectra. Emphasis is placed on the fourth‐order term, but the procedure is general and can be expanded to higher orders. When used with synthetic and field recorded common‐midpoint (CMP) trace data, this technique produces significant improvements in moveout determination affecting three areas: (1) resolution and interpretability of moveout spectra, (2) quality of CMP stacked sections, and (3) computation of velocity and depth for inverse modeling.