Wave Equation Datuming Applied to Seismic Data in Shallow Water Environment and Post-Critical Water Bottom Reflection

Coastal areas are generally characterized by human manufacturing; thus, seismic data analysis is necessary to characterize the properties of the subsoil, the main purpose of which is to clarify risk situations. In the case of very shallow water environments, seismic multiple attenuation becomes a challenge when the reflection of the seafloor is post-critical, so it is not recorded because of the acquisition parameters. We propose an approach to attenuate the multiples by using wave equation datuming that does not require the detection of seafloor reflection and avoids the seafloor reflection prediction and related approximations in the post-critical conditions. Moreover, this approach allows for the enhancement of higher frequencies, and, consequently, an increase in resolution, demonstrating that it is a powerful tool to attenuate multiples and reverberations, especially where other approaches are found to be inefficient. An example of the application of seismic data acquired in the continental shelf of South Chile is reported.