3-d Butterworth filtering for 3-d high-density onshore seismic field data

• Published in: Journal of environmental & engineering geophysics Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 223 - 233
• Main Authors: Liao Jianping, Liao Jianping, Liu Hexiu, Liu Hexiu, Li Weibo, Li Weibo, Guo Zhenwei, Guo Zhenwei, Wang Lixin, Wang Lixin, Wang Huazhong, Wang Huazhong, Peng Suping, Peng Suping, Hursthouse, Andrew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society 01.06.2018
• Subjects: adaptive filters; applied (geophysical surveys & methods); Butterworth filtering method; density; filters; finite difference analysis; geophysical methods; Geophysics; interpretation; noise; onshore; seismic methods; stacking; three-dimensional models; Vibroseis
• ISSN: 1083-1363; 1943-2658
• DOI: 10.2113/JEEG23.2.223

Three-dimensional seismic survey is widely applied, but 3-D filtering technology has yet to be fully utilized for the analysis of seismic field data. The common approach is to first filter inline and then crossline. However, an effective 3-D filtering method is expected to eliminate coherent noise, such as the ground roll. We propose a 3-D Butterworth filtering method in the time-space domain. Firstly, a Butterworth-type filter in the frequency-wavenumber-domain is designed to suppress the linear noise with a specific apparent velocity. Secondly, transforming this filter to the time and space domain yields 3-D partial differential equations (PDEs), which are applied to suppress the linear noise. Factorizing the finite-difference equations in a different direction other than decreasing the 3-D PDEs to 2-D PDEs produces a highly accurate and efficient algorithm. Designing the 3-D Butterworth filter, selecting the filtering parameters, and showing its application to synthetic data and a 3-D high-density onshore seismic field data from a region in western China are discussed in detail. Numerical experiments with 3-D high-density onshore seismic field data demonstrate that it is more effective than the 3-D frequency-wavenumber-wavenumber (FKK) filtering method.