Abstract: A method is described for seismic imaging improved by an estimation of attenuation including receiving a pre-migration seismic dataset D(s, r; t) representative of a subsurface volume of interest wherein s indicates source location, r indicates receiver location, and t is the recorded travel time; calculating a pre-migration attenuated travel time t*(s, r; t); computing a time derivative of the pre-migration attenuated travel time wherein 1/Q(s, r; t)=?t*(s, r; t)/?t; performing a first migration on D(s,r;t) to generate common image point (CIP) gathers G(x, h) wherein x is subsurface image point and h is angle or offset; performing a second migration on D(s, r; t)*1/Q(s, r; t) to generate weighted common image point (CIP) gathers G1/Q(x, h); and calculating a conditioned ratio of the weighted CIP gathers G1/Q(x, h) over the CIP gathers G(x, h) to get CIP gathers of 1/Q(x, h) is disclosed.

Abstract: A method is described for seismic data processing including receiving a seismic dataset D(s, r; t) representative of a subsurface volume of interest; calculating a pre-migration attenuated travel time t*(s, r; t); performing a first migration on D(s, r; t) to generate common image point (CIP) gathers G(x, h); performing a second migration on D(s, r; t)*t*(s, r; t) to generate weighted common image point (CIP) gathers Gt*(x, h); and calculating a conditioned ratio of the weighted CIP gathers Gt*(x, h) over the CIP gathers G(x, h) to get CIP gathers of attenuated traveltime t*(x, h). The CIP gathers of attenuated traveltime t*(x, h) may be used to perform seismic tomography to generate an attenuation (Q) model.

Abstract: A method is described for seismic imaging improved by an estimation of attenuation including receiving a pre-migration seismic dataset D(s, r; t) representative of a subsurface volume of interest wherein s indicates source location, r indicates receiver location, and t is the recorded travel time; calculating a pre-migration attenuated travel time t*(s, r; t); computing a time derivative of the pre-migration attenuated travel time wherein 1/Q(s, r; t)=?t*(s, r; t)/?t; performing a first migration on D(s,r;t) to generate common image point (CIP) gathers G(x, h) wherein x is subsurface image point and h is angle or offset; performing a second migration on D(s, r; t)*1/Q(s, r; t) to generate weighted common image point (CIP) gathers G1/Q(x, h); and calculating a conditioned ratio of the weighted CIP gathers G1/Q(x, h) over the CIP gathers G(x, h) to get CIP gathers of 1/Q(x, h) is disclosed.