1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to seismic data processing. More specifically, the invention relates to a system for organizing seismic data.
2. Background
Geophysical and geologic study of the subsurface structure of the earth continues to be an important field of endeavor for several reasons. The continued search for producing reservoirs of hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, is a particularly important motivation for obtaining information about the earth's subsurface.
Conventional seismic surveying is generally performed by imparting energy to the earth at one or more source locations, for example, by way of a controlled explosion, mechanical impact or the like. Return energy is then measured at surface receiver locations at varying distances and azimuths from the source location. The travel time of energy from source to receiver, via reflections and refraction from interfaces of subsurface strata is indicative of the depth and orientation of the subsurface strata.
The generation of instantaneous phase sections derived from seismic data is referred to in an article by Taner and Sheriff included in AAPG Memoir 26 from 1977, in which it is stated:                “The instantaneous phase is a quantity independent of reflection strength. Phase emphasizes the continuity of events; in phase displays . . . every peak, every trough, every zero-crossing has been picked and assigned the same color so that any phase angle can be followed from trace to trace.” And “Such phase displays are especially effective in showing pinchouts, angularities and the interference of events with different dip attitudes.”        
Various phase unwrapping techniques are known, including those disclosed in Ghiglia, Dennis C. and Pritt, Mark D., Two-Dimensional Phase Unwrapping Theory, Algorithms, and Software, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1998. Methods of obtaining topography from synthetic aperture radar data have also used phase unwrapping techniques.
A long felt need continues to exist, however, for improved systems for organizing, storing and displaying seismic information to assist in the analysis and interpretation of the subsurface structure and geology.