Depth solution from borehole and travel time data using three-variable hypersurface splines

• Published in: Journal of applied geophysics Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 201 - 211
• Main Authors: Xu, P.F., Yu, Z.W., Tan, H.Q., Ji, J.X.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 01.03.2001; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Applied geophysics; Drilling data; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Elevation; Exact sciences and technology; Hypersurface splines; Internal geophysics; Inversion; Travel time; Hypersurface splines; Inversion; Elevation; Travel time; Drilling data; inverse problem; exploration; mathematical models; drilling; velocity; splines; depth; interpretation; new methods; transformations; travel time; data integration; high resolution
• ISSN: 0926-9851; 1879-1859
• DOI: 10.1016/S0926-9851(01)00039-8

A new methodology, three-variable hypersurface splines, is presented for depth solution of geological surfaces in a certain exploration field based on the integration of elevation data, obtained from drilling, and travel time data, obtained from high-resolution seismic exploration. It is based on two-variable surface splines and could be used to generate a three-variable transformation function so that the travel time data could be globally inverted to the elevations of geological surfaces for a whole exploration field. In this procedure, no velocity parameters are used, so the selection of a suitable velocity background model is not necessary in the area with complex geological bodies. Another characteristic of this method is the ability to solve the discordance between travel time data and elevation data which always occurs while using conventional interpretation method and ensure the depths of geological surfaces transformed from seismic data full coinciding with those from original drilling data.