Abstract: The illumination/imaging of a theorized target horizon that is below a theorized velocity contrast horizon where the velocity contrast horizon may represent the bottom of a salt dome by assessing the path of seismic energy for critical angle reflection/refraction and tabulates the successful paths and unsuccessful paths. For some subsurface locations, seismic energy will not reach the surface above the velocity contrast due to the shapes of the velocity contrast horizon and target horizon and the velocity model through which the studied waves propagate. Displays may be prepared and used for understanding illumination/imaging of the geology for drilling, reacquisition, and reprocessing to elicit information about subsurface geology that may have been overlooked or ignored. Future surveys avoid expensive surveying which cannot obtain useful seismic data as determined by the velocity contrast for the target locations due to the shapes of the horizons and the velocity model.

Abstract: Method and systems are provided for processing c-wave data resulting in less sensitivity to errors in p-wave velocity analysis. Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, a process is provided for processing c-wave data, the process comprising: providing zero-offset gather without a hyperbolic movement correction; performing migration on the zero-offset gather; performing velocity analysis on the migrated zero-offset gather; and performing NMO on the migrated data using the velocity from the velocity analysis.

Abstract: A method and system for processing first and second seismic traces includes rotating the first seismic traces and the second seismic traces to forty-five degrees in the time domain. In one embodiment, the rotated first time domain traces and second time domain traces are transformed to the frequency domain to obtain an amplitude spectrum for each rotated first time domain trace and an amplitude spectrum for each rotated second time domain trace. Each amplitude spectrum is squared to obtain a power spectrum for each transformed and rotated time domain trace. The phase of each transformed rotated time domain trace to zero. The power spectrum for each transformed rotated time domain trace is then averaged. Each transformed rotated time domain trace is divided into time windows. A power spectrum for each window is obtained for the entire of each transformed rotated time domain trace. The power spectra of each window of the transformed rotated time domain trace is summed to obtain a summed first power spectrum.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for orientation of multicomponent geophones, for rotating traces, and for correcting polarity differences between traces. According to an example embodiment, a receiver orientation angle is assigned, based on a determination of an angle between one or more horizontal components and one or more sources.