Parameterization of Seismic Measurements by FPRs – Combining Physics With Mathematics

The data of a seismic represents a temporally and spatially sampled version of the continuous elastic wavefields. Therefore, seismic data traces can be conveniently arranged in a so-called data matrix. After removing waves that have travelled along the surface, the data matrix contains signals that can be expressed in terms of wavefield operators describing propagation and reflection in the subsurface. The result is the so-called WRW model. This model shows how to decompose seismic measurements in terms of directional responses of individual subsurface gridpoints. These Focal Point Responses (FPRs) can be used in full wavefield seismic processing algorithms.