Recent Advances in Multichannel Seismic Imaging for Academic Research in Deep Oceanic Environments

Abstract

Academic research using marine multichannel seismic (MCS) methods to investigate processes related to Earth's oceanic crust has made substantial advances in the last decade. These advances were made possible by access to state-of-the-art MCS acquisition systems, and by development of data processing and modeling techniques that specifically deal with the particularities of oceanic crustal structure and the challenges of subseafloor imaging in the deep ocean. Among these methods, we highlight multistreamer three-dimensional (3D) imaging, streamer refraction tomography, synthetic ocean bottom experiments (SOBE), and time-lapse (4D) studies.

Keywords

• Ridge 2000
• mid-ocean ridges
• spreading centers
• multichannel seismic
• 3D imaging
• oceanic crust