Research note: Application of refraction full‐waveform inversion of ocean bottom node data using a squared‐slowness model parameterization

Abstract

Abstract Full‐waveform inversion is a wave equation–based imaging technique for obtaining subsurface model parameters by matching modelled with field data. Full‐waveform inversion is often formulated as a local optimization problem in which the model parameterization influences the gradient preconditioner and the convergence rate associated with the full‐waveform inversion objective function. Model parameterization governs the radiation pattern of the so‐called secondary Born source. In this work, we assess model parameterization effects on the estimation of P‐wave velocities using a three‐dimensional acoustic time‐domain full‐waveform inversion procedure. These include the three commonly used parameterization: velocity, slowness and squared slowness. In this context, we consider a field data set from a deepwater Brazilian pre‐salt field using a recently introduced circular shot ocean bottom node acquisition which favours refracted waves. The results reveal that the squared slowness model parameterization provides a satisfactory trade‐off between the reconstruction of the deep pre‐salt target area and convergence rate, saving 50% of runtime compared to the velocity and slowness cases.