Estimation of residual static time shifts by means of the CRS-based residual static correction approach

Reflection seismic measurements are used to indirectly investigate the earth's interior to finally obtain a structural image of the subsurface. This image can be interpreted to find hydrocarbon reservoirs but also to develop natural energy sources like geothermal energy. In case of onshore measurements, the recorded reflection events are usually degraded in quality due to traveltime distortions caused by the uppermost layer, the so-called weathering layer. These traveltime distortions can severely deteriorate the subsequent stacking process resulting in a stacked section of poor quality. Thus, the influence of the weathering layer on the reflection traveltimes is usually compensated by static corrections. The residual static correction accounts for small-scale variations in the weathering layer. The residual static correction (RSC) methods are of great interest to further improve not only the signal-to-noise ratio after stacking, they can also enhance the reflection event continuity. This is even of greater interest in the process of building a structural image of the subsurface. In this thesis, a conventional RSC method is combined with the Common-Reflection-Surface (CRS) stack method which provides additional information about the subsurface by means of kinematic wavefield attributes. These CRS attributes parameterize a stacking surface within a spatial aperture rather than within the common-midpoint gathers, only. The CRS-based RSC approach is tested on synthetic and real datasets and the promising results are presented within the frame of this thesis.