Post-stack velocity analysis by separation and imaging of seismic diffractions

Small geological features manifest themselves in seismic data in the form of diffracted waves, which are fundamentally different from seismic reflections. Using two field data examples, we demonstrate the possibility of separating seismic diffractions in the data and imaging them with optimally chosen migration velocities. Our criterion for separating reflection and diffraction events is the smoothness and continuity of local event slopes. Our criterion for optimal focusing is the local varimax measure. The objective is fast velocity analysis in the post-stack domain and high-resolution imaging of small-scale heterogeneities. Our examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for high-resolution imaging of such geological features as faults and salt boundaries.