Laplace-domain waveform inversion (WI) is a technique for estimating long wavelength velocity models. The velocity model, estimated by Laplace-domain WI, is used as an initial velocity model for techniques such as frequency-domain and time-domain wave...
Laplace-domain waveform inversion (WI) is a technique for estimating long wavelength velocity models. The velocity model, estimated by Laplace-domain WI, is used as an initial velocity model for techniques such as frequency-domain and time-domain waveform inversion. These techniques are then used to develop high resolution velocity models used in subsurface imaging. Since frequency-domain and time-domain waveform inversion are sensitive to the initial velocity model, model resolution of Laplace-domain WI is an important factor in the overall velocity-estimation process. In addition, since the cost for obtaining the wavefield of the Laplace domain is large, it is necessary to improve the convergence rate and efficiency of Laplace-domain WI. Previous Laplace-domain WI studies have shown difficulty in analyzing model resolution and convergence rate due to insufficient understanding of the wavepath and its role in representing the relationship between the model parameters and seismic data. This study investigates the characteristics of the wavepath in the Laplace domain which have not been clarified in previous research. Through this study, we implement convergence rate, model resolution, and efficiency analysis for Laplace-domain inversion. By introducing the attenuation constant, which can be considered a Laplace constant in the spatial domain, we prove that the wavepath of the Laplace domain is a real exponential basis with the product of the attenuation constant vector and the position vector as an exponent. We also prove that the attenuation constant vector is a function of both the Laplace constant and the incident angle. From the numerical example, it can be confirmed that the attenuation constant depends on both the Laplace constant and the incident angle. In addition, this study shows that it is reasonable to apply the Gauss-Newton method to Laplace-domain WI for fast convergence. The wavepath of the Laplace domain is a real exponential function, which has a large condition number. The numerical example of the BP benchmark model demonstrates the effectiveness of the Gauss-Newton method in this Laplace-domain WI algorithm. We also prove that a wide range of incident angles is essential to obtain a high resolution model through Laplace-domain inversion. The relationship between the model resolution and the incident angle range explains why the model resolution decreases as the offset-depth ratio increases. Also, horizontal and vertical resolution changes, depending on the exploration environment, can be predicted. Finally, we propose an efficient Laplace constant selection strategy to improve the efficiency of Laplace domain inversion. The Laplace constants selected through the proposed method improve efficiency by maintaining continuity of the range of attenuation constants and by minimizing unnecessary repetition of attenuation constants. From the numerical example, it can be seen that the proposed Laplace constant selection strategy yields superior results in terms of both efficiency and accuracy, compared with the strategy of choosing Laplace constants at fixed intervals. This applies for both the simple-model and complex-model case, such as the SEG/EAGE salt dome model.