Viscoelastic FWI: solving for Q_p, Q_s, V_p, V_s, and density

Scott Keating, Kristopher A. Innanen

Useful information about seismic amplitudes is often neglected or underused in full waveform inversion due to the common neglect of elastic or attenuative physics considered in the inversion. To make better use of measured data, we present a frequency domain, viscoelastic full waveform inversion. Inter-parameter cross-talk is demonstrated to be a major concern in this problem, not easily prevented through comprehensive acquisition geometry or relatively intensive numerical optimization. We propose a strategy for crosstalk mitigation based on prioritizing the transmissive effects of the Q variables.