The Fresnel zone and its interpetive significance

Abstract

Resolution of the reflection seismic record in the temporal (vertical) dimension has historically dominated the attention of geophysicists. The ability to “resolve” two reflectors with close vertical spacing is of particular importance in stratigraphic analysis. However, resolution is most completely understood when it is considered in a three-dimensional sense. To what extent can the seismic method resolve a point? If we can understand the resolution limits of seismic sections for expressing a point acoustic discontinuity in subsurface space, then the question of resolution is answered for any reflector configuration (since, under Huygens’ principle, all reflection surfaces may be represented as sufficiently dense arrays of point diffractors).