Abstract: A method for determining the anisotropic properties of an unknown earth formation by means of seismic exploration includes generating seismic signals for propagation through the unknown formation. A range of seismic data samples generated by the propagation of the signals through the unknown formation is detected, and the detected samples are affected by the anisotropic properties of the unknown formation. A group of postulated anisotropic properties which would cause known perturbations in seismic signals are selected for the unknown formation. The detected range of seismic data samples from the unknown earth formation is compared with estimated ranges that could have been produced by seismic signals propagating through earth formations made up with differing weighting of components of the postulated anisotropic properties.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing seismic data samples obtained from seismic signals propagating in an anisotropic medium. The data samples are associated with scattering angles and azimuth at each migration dip at each image point of the medium. An inverse operator is then applied to the samples so as to provide intermediate anisotropic elastic parameter combinations for each migration dip at each point of the medium. The inverse operator comprises an inverse of a scattering function for variations in elastic parameters from a reference medium against scattering angle and migration dip. The intermediate anisotropic elastic parameter combinations are then migrated to their proper locations.