RTM imaging

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RTM imaging

 

Description

RTM imaging performs Reverse Time Migration on pre-stack seismic data to produce a depth-domain image. The module reads source and receiver SEG-Y data, forward-propagates the source wavefield and back-propagates the receiver wavefield through a depth interval velocity model, and applies a zero-lag cross-correlation imaging condition to produce the migrated image. It supports both source-ordered and receiver-ordered input data, optional mute picking on source and receiver gathers before migration, and a sub-sequence of pre-processing steps applied to each gather before migration. The output includes the depth-domain stacked image and optional time-domain images, along with intermediate source and receiver wavefields for QC.

 

Input data

Input SEG-Y data handle

The SEG-Y file handle for the primary (source-side) input dataset. Connect this to the output SEG-Y handle from the reading module in the workflow.

Input trace headers

The trace header vector for the primary input dataset, providing geometry and sorting information for each trace. Connect this to the corresponding trace headers output from the reading module.

Input SEG-Y data handle illum

An optional secondary SEG-Y file handle used for illumination compensation. When connected, the module uses this dataset to compute an illumination correction that normalises the migrated image for uneven source-receiver coverage.

Input trace headers illum

The trace header vector for the illumination input dataset. Connect alongside Input SEG-Y data handle illum when illumination compensation is used.

Depth velocity

The depth-domain interval velocity model used to propagate wavefields during migration. Connect this to the output of a velocity model builder, tomography, or FWI module. The velocity field must cover the full depth range of the migration aperture.

Mute picking item src

Optional mute curve for the source gathers. When connected, this mute is applied to each source gather before wavefield propagation, suppressing direct wave energy or other noise above the defined mute boundary.

Mute picking item rcv

Optional mute curve for the receiver gathers. Applied analogously to the source mute, suppressing noise on the receiver side before back-propagation.

Parameters

SRC sort by { Offset, Abs offset, RCV }

Specifies how source gathers are assembled from the input SEG-Y. The default is Abs offset. Select Offset or Abs offset to sort traces by their signed or absolute offset within each source gather; select RCV to sort by receiver position for receiver-domain processing.

RCV sort by { Offset, Abs offset, SRC }

Specifies how receiver gathers are assembled from the input SEG-Y. The default is Abs offset. Analogous to SRC sort by but controls the receiver-side gather assembly.

Create by rcvs

When enabled (default: false), the migration image is accumulated on a receiver-by-receiver basis rather than source-by-source. Enable this option when the input data is sorted by receiver and the receiver wavefield is the primary forward-propagated field.

Mute

Container group for mute picking parameters. Mute curves can be picked interactively on the source and receiver gather displays within this module and applied to suppress noise before propagation.

Taper window

The spatial taper width (in metres) applied at the edges of the model to suppress boundary reflections during wavefield extrapolation. The default is 20 m. Increasing this value provides a more gradual absorbing boundary and reduces edge artefacts in the migrated image at the cost of a wider padding zone.

Import picking params

Container group for parameters controlling the import of external mute picks from a file. Use this to load pre-existing mute curves computed outside the module.

Magnet picking points to geometry

When enabled (default: true), interactively picked mute points are snapped to the nearest trace position in the gather geometry. This prevents mute picks from being placed between actual trace positions, ensuring that the mute boundary aligns with the data.

Magnet max dist

The maximum snapping distance (in metres) for the Magnet picking points to geometry option. The default is 50 m. Picked points further than this distance from any trace position will not be snapped.

DT

The time sample interval (in seconds) of the time-domain output gathers. The default is 0.004 s (4 ms). This controls the sampling rate of the optional time-domain output images; it does not affect the depth-domain image which is controlled by the velocity model grid spacing.

Output time lenght

The total record length (in seconds) of the time-domain output gathers. The default is 5 s. Set this to match the maximum two-way travel time of the deepest target plus a margin for the mute zone.

V0

The near-surface replacement velocity (in m/s) used to convert between the depth datum and the time output. The default is 2000 m/s. This value fills the zone between the surface and the datum, analogous to the replacement velocity in static corrections.

Output datum

The output datum elevation (in metres) for the depth-domain migrated image. The default is 0 m (sea level). Set this to the survey datum elevation to align the depth output with the coordinate reference frame of the project.

Mute after

When enabled (default: true), applies a post-migration mute to suppress migration operator smear and direct-wave artefacts in the shallow part of the image. Disable this only for diagnostic purposes when inspecting the full un-muted output.

Crop by topo

When enabled (default: true), the output image is cropped to the actual topographic surface at each position, removing samples above the free surface. This prevents erroneous image energy appearing above ground level for surveys with significant topographic relief.

Diff output

When enabled (default: false), the module outputs a difference gather showing the change between the input and output, useful for QC of the imaging operator. Disable this in production to save memory and I/O.

Use ff filter

When enabled (default: true), applies a f-f (frequency-frequency) filter to the migrated image as a post-processing step to suppress low-frequency migration noise and improve image quality. The strength of this filter is controlled by FF power.

FF power

The exponent applied in the f-f filter when Use ff filter is enabled. The default is 1. Higher values apply a stronger high-pass effect to the image, further suppressing low-frequency migration artefacts but potentially affecting shallow low-frequency signal.

Shift phase angle

A constant phase rotation (in degrees) applied to the migrated image after all other post-processing steps. The default is 0 (no rotation). Use this to correct for a known phase error in the source wavelet or to convert between minimum-phase and zero-phase images. Set to 90 degrees for a Hilbert transform effect.

Normalize amplitudes

When enabled (default: true), applies amplitude normalisation to the migrated image to compensate for depth-dependent energy decay and uneven illumination. Disable this only if you need to preserve the true amplitude scaling of the imaging condition for AVO or amplitude extraction purposes.

Settings

SegyReadParams

Container for SEG-Y reading parameters controlling byte-swap, trace header byte locations, and other format options for reading the input SEG-Y files. Adjust these if the input data does not conform to standard SEG-Y Rev 1 header layout.

Execute on { CPU, GPU }

Selects whether the RTM wavefield propagation is executed on the CPU or GPU. GPU execution significantly accelerates the migration, particularly for 3D or large 2D datasets. Requires a compatible CUDA-capable GPU with sufficient VRAM to hold the velocity model and wavefield snapshots.

Distributed execution

Options for distributing the migration across multiple compute nodes. Enable this to specify a cluster configuration for large-scale RTM runs where a single node does not have sufficient memory or compute capacity.

Bulk size

The number of shot gathers processed per distributed computing chunk. Larger values reduce inter-node communication overhead but require more memory per node. Adjust based on the available memory on each compute node.

Limit number of threads on nodes

The maximum number of CPU threads used per compute node in distributed mode. Setting this below the total number of available cores can reduce memory pressure when each thread requires a large memory allocation for wavefield storage.

Job suffix

A text suffix appended to the distributed job name to distinguish between concurrent migration runs on the same cluster. Use a unique suffix for each active workflow to avoid job name collisions.

Set custom affinity

When enabled, allows the user to specify a custom CPU affinity mask for the migration threads. Use this on NUMA systems to pin threads to specific processor sockets or cores to avoid cross-socket memory access penalties.

Affinity

The CPU affinity mask or core specification string applied when Set custom affinity is enabled. Consult your system administrator for the correct format on your hardware configuration.

Number of threads

The number of CPU threads used for the migration when executing on CPU. Higher values use more cores for parallel wavefield propagation, reducing wall-clock time proportionally (up to available hardware threads). The default uses all available logical cores.

Skip

When enabled, bypasses this module entirely, passing the input data through to the output unchanged. Use this to temporarily disable the migration step during workflow testing without restructuring the processing graph.

Output data

Current source gather

The forward-propagated source wavefield snapshot at the current migration position, in the depth domain. Connect this to a display module for QC of the source wavefield propagation.

Current receiver gather

The back-propagated receiver wavefield snapshot at the current migration position, in the depth domain. Use for QC of the receiver wavefield propagation.

Current source gather time

The forward-propagated source wavefield snapshot in the time domain, produced by depth-to-time conversion of the current source wavefield.

Current receiver gather time

The back-propagated receiver wavefield snapshot in the time domain.

Current source gather ILLUM

The illumination source wavefield in the depth domain, computed from the optional illumination input dataset. Used for illumination compensation of the migrated image.

Current receiver gather ILLUM

The illumination receiver wavefield in the depth domain.

Current source gather time ILLUM

The illumination source wavefield in the time domain.

Current receiver gather time ILLUM

The illumination receiver wavefield in the time domain.

Current source gather image

The per-shot contribution to the depth-domain migrated image from the current source gather (source-side imaging condition result).

Current receiver gather image

The per-shot contribution to the depth-domain migrated image from the current receiver gather.

Current source gather time image

The per-shot source-side image contribution converted to the time domain.

Current receiver gather time image

The per-shot receiver-side image contribution converted to the time domain.

RTM stack depth

The final stacked RTM image in the depth domain, produced by summing all per-shot image contributions. This is the primary output of the module and the main deliverable for interpretation and velocity model QC.

RTM stack time

The final stacked RTM image converted to the time domain using the depth velocity model. Useful for comparison with time-migrated results and for integrating with time-domain interpretation workflows.

Information

Graphics

Custom actions

Clear SRC picking

Removes all interactively picked mute points from the source gather display, resetting the source mute to its default state.

Save SRC picking

Saves the current source mute picks to a file for use in subsequent processing runs or to share between workflows.

Load SRC picking

Loads source mute picks from a previously saved file.

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Clear RCV picking

Removes all interactively picked mute points from the receiver gather display.

Save RCV picking

Saves the current receiver mute picks to a file.

Load RCV picking

Loads receiver mute picks from a previously saved file.