GEOPHYSICS, VOL. 57. NO. 5, (MAY 1992); P. 749-751, 4 FIGS.

Short Note

Another look at NM0 stretch

Arthur E. Barnes*

INTRODUCTION develop the corresponding transformations of the instanta-

neous frequency, the instantaneous power spectrum, and the
The normal moveout (NMO) correction is applied to amplitude spectrum.
seismic reflection data to transform traces recorded at non-
zero offset into traces that appear to have been recorded at Instantaneous frequencies
zero offset; this introduces undesirable distortions called
NM0 stretch (Buchholtz, 1972). NM0 stretch must be An infinitesimal segmentof the original waveform on trace
understood because it lengthens waveforms and thereby X at a time t, comprises a phase change &I occurring over a
reduces resolution. Buchholtz (1972) gives a qualitative time interval dt,. The NM0 correction moves this to a time
assessmentof NM0 stretch, Dunkin and Levin (1973) derive to on trace 0, and the phase change de now occurs over a
its effect on the amplitude spectra of narrow waveforms, time dt,.
while Yilmaz (1987, p. 160) considers its effect on dominant Instantaneous frequency is defined as
frequencies. These works are approximate and do not show
how spectral distortions vary through time
Instantaneous frequencies and time-frequency analysis
(Cohen, 1989) afford an insightful and superior perspective
from which to look at NM0 stretch. No approximations are
where 0 (t) is the instantaneous phase (Yilmaz, 1987, p. 521).
necessary, and analysis is in time and in frequency simulta-
Hence, the instantaneous frequency of the waveform on
neously. I determine the time-variant frequency distortions
trace X at time t, is
caused by the NM0 correction by deriving the resultant
transformations of instantaneous frequencies and instanta-
neous power spectra. The transformation of Fourier ampli-
tude spectra follows directly.

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT and on trace 0 at time to is

Consider an arbitrary waveform on a seismic trace X with 1 d0

offset x. The NM0 correction takes the value of trace X at fo(to) = - -.
27~dto
time t, and without changing it assigns it to time to on
zero-offset trace 0. In this way, a new waveform is created. Dividing equation (4) by equation (3) gives
Times t, and to are related by the normal moveout equation,
r .,2 1l/2 fo(to) dO/dto
-=_ dt,
-= (5)
f,(t,) deldt, dto’

where v(to) is root-mean-square velocity (Yilmaz, 1987, p. Define two quantities, (Yand B, as
159). The NM0 correction is thus a time coordinate trans- tx
(y=-= (6)
formation, and the transformed waveform is a temporally
to
distorted and shifted version of the original waveform. I now

Manuscriptreceivedby the Editor May 22, 1991;revisedmanuscriptreceivedNovember4, 1991.

*Genie Minkral, Ecole Polytechnique, C.P. 6079, Succursale “A,” MontrCal, quebec H3C 3A7, Canada.
0 1992 Society of Exploration Geophysicists. All rights reserved.

749
750 Barnes

Instantaneous power spectra

Let the waveforms be analytic; this implies no loss of

generality since any seismic trace can be made analytic
(Yilmaz, 1987, p. 521). Let R(r) be the instantaneous ampli-
the prime denotes differentiation with respect to time f,,. tude, A(f) the amplitude spectrum, and E(r, f) the instan-
Now equation (5) can be rewritten as taneous power spectrum. E(f, f) has the following proper-
ties (Cohen, 1989):
f,(ato)
fo(to) = (8)
P . = E(t, f) dt = A*(f); (9)
This is the transformation of instantaneous frequency as a I --r
result of the NM0 correction. It is qualitatively illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2.
E(r, f, df= R’(r); and (10)
The quantity p is a measure of stretch and can be used in
the calculation of automatic stretch mutes. For a constant
velocity function, p - 1 reduces to the stretch measuregiven
in Yilmaz (1987, p. 160).

=f(t), (11)

I OcE(t> f)
-rn
df

effectof NM0 correctionon instantaneousfrequency where f(t) is again instantaneous frequency.

Let Ex(t, , f,) be the instantaneous power spectrum of the
::: original waveform on trace X; upon the NM0 correction it
transforms to Eo(to , fo). The transformation can be ex-
pressed as Ex(tx, f,) = KE,(ra, fs), with spectral frequen-
cies related by f, = -yf,, ; K and y are unknown functions of
time Now, by equation (lo), remembering that the NM0
correction does not change waveform amplitudes,

x as shown (km) ccEo(ro, fo) dfo = cc Ex(tx> f,) dfx

/ --oc / --r

0 iv /
0 OS 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 z? cc KEo(to, fob dfo. (12)
time M
I -cc

FIG. 1. The effect of normal moveout corrections with a Combining equations (8), (1 l), and (12) yields
constant velocity v of 3 km/s on instantaneous frequency for
a trace with a constant initial frequency f of 40 Hz as a
function of offset X. P =foEoOo.fo) dfo = ccfxE,(f,,f,) dfx
/ --r I -r

effectof NM0 correctionon instantaneousfrequency cc

II vfoKEoOo,fohdfo. (13)
I --z

Solving equations (12) and (13) for K and y gives K = l/p

and y = l3.
The transformation of instantaneous power spectra as a
result of the NM0 correction is therefore

Eo(f0, f0) = PEx(fx, f,) = PE,(aro, Pf0). (14)

Instantaneous power spectra transform nonlinearly, as
shown qualitatively in Figure 3. However, slices at a con-
stant time of instantaneous spectra transform linearly. In-
stantaneous power spectral frequencies transform in the
time (s) same way as instantaneous frequencies.

FIG. 2. The effect of NM0 corrections with a constant Amplitude spectra

velocity v of 3 km/s on the instantaneous frequency of a
trace with an offset x of 2 km as a function of initial The distortion of Fourier amplitude spectra as a result of
frequency f. the NM0 correction follows directly from equation (9) and
 NM0 Stretch 751

the transformation of instantaneous power spectra given in amplitude spectra before and after NM0 correction
10
equation (14): __,'_ ._
0 ,/' I
112

Ao(.f-01 =
1 l/2
zz
P2Ex(tx, W-o)
1
dt,

If B is nearly constant over the interval where the significant

. (15)

contribution to this integral is made, then

1
I/2
OO 10 20 30 40 50 60
Ao(fo) - P (16)
frequency (Hz)

By equation (9), this reduces to FIG. 4. Amplitude spectra calculated from the instantaneous
power spectra of Figure 3. (a) Before NM0 correction. (b)
Ao(fo) - PAx(Pfo). (17) After NM0 correction. (c) The spectrum after NM0 correc-
tion calculated with Dunkin and Levin’s (1973) approxima-
tion.

instantaneouspower spectrum before NM0 correction This is Dunkin and Levin’s (1973) equation. The nonlinear
60
distortion of the amplitude spectrum of a narrow pulse can
50-
a be approximated by a linear compression where stretch is
not severe (Figure 4).

DISCUSSION

The normal moveout correction introduces time-variant

nonlinear distortions into the frequency content of seismic
reflection data. These distortions are described by the cor-
responding transformations of instantaneous frequencies
lo-
and instantaneous power spectra, providing an insightful
perspective in time and in frequency simultaneously. Instan-
0.2 013 0:4 0:s 0:6 0:7 0:8 0:9 -1 1.2 taneous power spectra transform nonlinearly, but slices in
time (s) time through instantaneous spectra transform linearly. The
transformation of instantaneous power spectral frequencies
is the same as for instantaneous frequencies and can be used
instantaneous power spectrum after NM0 correction to determine changes in spectral bandwidth. The nonlinear
60
distortion of Fourier amplitude spectra caused by the NM0
so- b
“1 correction derives readily from these results and can be
approximated as a linear compression where stretch is not
severe.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
i
I acknowledge the partial support of a National Sciences
and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
strategic grant awarded to A. Brown, M. Chouteau, C.
Hubert, J. Ludden, and M. Mareschal.

8.2 0:3 0:4 0:s 0.6 0:7 0:8 - I 1.1 1.2 REFERENCES
time (s)
Buchholtz, H., 1972, A note on signal distortion due to dynamic
FIG. 3. The transformation of an instantaneous power spec- (NMO) corrections:Geophys. Prosp.,20, 395402.
Cohen, L., 1989, Time-frequency distributions-A review: Proc.
trum in the time-frequency plane as the result of an NM0 IEEE, 77, 941-981.
correction with a constant velocity of 3 km/s, for an offset of Dunkin, J. W., and Levitt, F. K., 1973, Effects of normal moveout
2 km. (a) Before NM0 correction. (b) After NM0 correction on a seismic pulse: Geophysics, 38, 635-642.
(independently scaled). Yilmaz, O., 1987, Seismic data procssing:Sot. Expl. Geophys.