IGF



Publication

The Uncertainty of 2D Models Along Wide Angle Seismic Profiles

Majdanski M. and Polkowski M.

Pure and Applied Geophysics

171 (9), 2014, 2277–2287, 10.1007/s00024-014-0840-9

The estimation of uncertainty for any geophysical model is important for determining how reliable the model is. It is especially important for subjective trial and error modelling techniques like forward ray-tracing modelling of wide-angle seismic data when the final result is very dependent on the interpreter’s knowledge of the area and experience. In this kind of modelling, it is common to encounter over interpretation of the seismic data without checking the uncertainty of the result, especially in the deep parts that are not constrained with other a priori knowledge. In this paper, we propose a method of estimating the uncertainty of the final models based on a one dimensional method of small error propagation generalized for 2D profiles. With a simple approximation, we estimate the uncertainty for published interpretative models of selected profiles from seismic experiments in the Central Europe. We conclude that for typical wide angle seismic profiles we can reliably interpret four layered models of the Earth’s crust based on traveltimes fitting. We also show how the number of layers influence obtained uncertainties. Estimated uncertainties for both the velocity fields and the boundaries between layers are important for future tectonic and geodynamic interpretation of those profiles.


Back