Seismic signal processing method and apparatus for generating time slice or horizon maps in response to seismic traces and quadrature traces to determine geologic features

摘要

A method and associated apparatus for generating time slice maps and/or horizon maps, representative of a time slice or a horizon in an earth formation that is subject to a seismic operation, in response to received seismic data includes the steps of: (a) cross correlating a plurality of seismic traces from the seismic data and a corresponding plurality of quadrature traces associated, respectively, with the plurality of seismic traces to obtain a corresponding plurality of cross correlation functions "Q(&tgr;)", (b) obtaining a plurality of particular values from the plurality of cross correlation functions "Q(. tau.)", at least one particular value being obtained from each cross correlation function, and (c) assigning the plurality of particular values to a respective plurality of reflection points on a map, each particular value being assigned to a different one of the reflection points, thereby constructing the time slice map and/or the horizon map. The particular value could be either a quadrature correlation coefficient (QCC), or a time lag (TL), or a sum of a normalized quadrature correlation coefficient and a normalized time lag (QCC.sub.n + TL.sub.n).