Orthorhombic anisotropic model inversion is extra challenging because of the multiple parameter nature of the inversion problem. The high number of parameters required to describe the medium exerts considerable trade-off and additional nonlinearity to a full-waveform inversion (FWI) application. Choosing a suitable set of parameters to describe the model and designing an effective inversion strategy can help in mitigating this problem. Using the Born approximation, which is the central ingredient of the FWI update process, we have derived radiation patterns for the different acoustic orthorhombic parameterizations. Analyzing the angular dependence of scattering (radiation patterns) of the parameters of different parameterizations starting with the often used Thomsen-Tsvankin parameterization, we have assessed the potential trade-off between the parameters and the resolution in describing the data and inverting for the parameters. The analysis led us to introduce new parameters [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], which have azimuthally dependent radiation patterns, but keep the scattering potential of the transversely isotropic parameters stationary with azimuth (azimuth independent). The novel parameters [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] are dimensionless and represent a measure of deviation between the vertical planes in orthorhombic anisotropy. Therefore, these deviation parameters offer a new parameterization style for an acoustic orthorhombic medium described by six parameters: three vertical transversely isotropic (VTI) parameters, two deviation parameters, and one parameter describing the anisotropy in the horizontal symmetry plane. The main feature of any parameterization based on the deviation parameters, is the azimuthal independency of the modeled data with respect to the VTI parameters, which allowed us to propose practical inversion strategies based on our experience with the VTI parameters. This feature of the new parameterization style holds for even the long-wavelength components of the model constrained by traveltimes.

Building anisotropy models is necessary for seismic modeling and imaging. However, anisotropy estimation is challenging due to the trade-off between inhomogeneity and anisotropy. Luckily, we can estimate the anisotropy parameters if we relate them analytically to traveltimes. Using perturbation theory, we have developed traveltime approximations for orthorhombic media as explicit functions of the anellipticity parameters η 1 , η 2 , and Δχ in inhomogeneous background media. The parameter Δχ is related to Tsvankin-Thomsen notation and ensures easier computation of traveltimes in the background model. Specifically, our expansion assumes an inhomogeneous ellipsoidal anisotropic background model, which can be obtained from well information and stacking velocity analysis. We have used the Shanks transform to enhance the accuracy of the formulas. A homogeneous medium simplification of the traveltime expansion provided a nonhyperbolic moveout description of the traveltime that was more accurate than other derived approximations. Moreover, the formulation provides a computationally efficient tool to solve the eikonal equation of an orthorhombic medium, without any constraints on the background model complexity. Although, the expansion is based on the factorized representation of the perturbation parameters, smooth variations of these parameters (represented as effective values) provides reasonable results. Thus, this formulation provides a mechanism to estimate the three effective parameters η 1 , η 2 , and Δχ. We have derived Dix-type formulas for orthorhombic medium to convert the effective parameters to their interval values.

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Full-waveform inversion (FWI) in anisotropic media is challenging, mainly because of the large computational cost, especially in 3D, and the potential trade-offs between the model parameters needed to describe such media. By analyzing the trade-offs and understanding the resolution limits of the inversion, we can constrain FWI to focus on the main parameters the data are sensitive to and push the inversion toward more reliable models of the subsurface. Orthorhombic anisotropy is one of the most practical approximations of the earth subsurface that takes into account the natural horizontal layering and the vertical fracture network. We investigate the feasibility of a multiparameter FWI for an acoustic orthorhombic model described by six parameters. We rely on a suitable parameterization based on the horizontal velocity and five dimensionless anisotropy parameters. This particular parameterization allows a multistage model inversion strategy in which the isotropic, then, the vertical transverse isotropic, and finally the orthorhombic model can be successively updated. We applied our acoustic orthorhombic inversion on the SEG-EAGE overthrust synthetic model. The observed data used in the inversion are obtained from an elastic variable density version of the model. The quality of the inverted model suggests that we may recover only four parameters, with different resolution scales depending on the scattering potential of these parameters. Therefore, these results give useful insights on the expected resolution of the inverted parameters and the potential constraints that could be applied to an orthorhombic model inversion. We determine the efficiency of the inversion approach on real data from the North Sea. The inverted model is in agreement with the geologic structures and well-log information.

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