Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable medium to perform operations including: receiving seismic data acquired by at least one receiver of a geologic survey system configured to perform a geologic survey of a subterranean formation, wherein the seismic data is associated with reflected acoustic signals generated by at least one source of the geologic survey system; calculating a ground force signal by stacking the acoustic signals generated by the least one source; calculating, using the ground force signal, a time and depth variant quality factor (Q) of the subterranean formation; and compensating, based on the time and depth variant Q, attenuation in the seismic data.

In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and article, may operate to substantially simultaneously measure acoustic radiation from a source in a geological formation, at each of at least two sensors in an array, over a selected time period to provide acoustic pressure measurements. Further activity may comprise locating the source at a location in the geological formation with respect to the sensors by determining acoustic intensity associated with the source, based on the acoustic pressure measurements, independent of medium sound velocity in one or more media disposed between the sensors and the source. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may operate to generate a parent population, wherein each member of the parent population includes a set of model parameters describing a layer model of the geological formation; to execute a perturbation algorithm to generate subsequent child populations, from the parent population, until a termination criterion is met; to provide a plurality of solutions based on at least one member of the parent population and on at least one member of each child population; and to control a drilling operation based on a revised layer model that has been generated based on a selected one of the plurality of solutions. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) analysis is a technique commonly used to conduct geophysical surveys of subterranean features. The processing of a VSP includes several steps, usually including a final step of depth migration. In order to properly process and image VSP data using depth migration, a velocity model of the subsurface must be known or derived. A variety of criteria can be used to ascertain whether the velocity used for migration is accurate.

Geophysical prospecting may be achieved using borehole seismic data and processing velocity seismic profiles using downward continuation to simulate the seismic source being at the depth of the borehole receivers. Such methods may involve collecting seismic data for a subterranean formation with at least one borehole receiver; grouping the seismic data into a one common receiver gather corresponding to each borehole receiver; performing a downward continuation on at least one of the common receiver gathers to produce corresponding downward continued common receiver gathers; performing a normal moveout analysis on at least one of the downward continued common receiver gathers to produce corresponding semblance velocity spectra; and analyzing at least one of the semblance velocity spectra for a zone of interest in the subterranean formation.

A system and a method for producing an anisotropic velocity model. Vertical seismic profile (VSP) data is obtained for a geological area. At least two stiffness coefficients in a fourth-rank elasticity stiffness tensor are calculated based on p-wave and s-wave velocities determined using the VSP data. Microseismic profile data for the geological area is obtained and all remaining unknown stiffness coefficients in the fourth-rank elasticity stiffness tensor are calculated using the microseismic profile data.

One embodiment includes receiving distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data for responses associated with seismic excitations in an area of interest. The area of interest includes a sea surface, the water column, a seafloor, and a subseafloor. The seismic excitations are generated by at least one seismic source in the area of interest. The responses are detected by at least one fiber optic sensing apparatus configured for DAS that is in the water column, on the seafloor, in a wellbore drilled through the seafloor and into the subseafloor, or any combination thereof. The embodiment includes determining a function of speed of sound in water using the DAS data, and correcting a digital seismic image associated with the area of interest using the function of speed of sound in water to generate a corrected digital seismic image.

An example method includes at least partially positioning within a wellbore an optical fiber of a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data collection system. Seismic data from the DAS data collection system may be received. The seismic data may include seismic traces associated with a plurality of depths in the wellbore. A quality factor may be determined for each seismic trace. One or more seismic traces may be removed from the seismic data based, at least in part, on the determined quality factors.

A method and system for processing a slowness profile. A method may comprise disposing a geophone array into a borehole, positioning the geophone array at a first location within the borehole; discharging a seismic source; positioning the geophone array at a second location within the borehole; discharging the seismic source, wherein the seismic source produces an acoustic wave; recording a vertical seismic profiling dataset, wherein vertical seismic profiling comprises a dataset of recorded acoustic waves by the geophone array at the first location within the borehole and the second location within the borehole; picking a first gap travel time from the vertical seismic profiling dataset; and determining the slowness profile, wherein the slowness profile comprises determining a slowness of the acoustic wave through a formation by the geophone arrays. A well system may comprise a geophone array, comprising a plurality of geophones, and an information handling system.

A distributed acoustic sensing cable package having a polymer composite extruded over an optical waveguide to encase the waveguide and to form a crystalline matrix layer acoustically coupled to the waveguide. The crystalline matrix includes reinforcement fibers to further enhance transmission of a cable strain to the optical waveguide. During manufacture of the cable, the polymer composite may be extruded over the optical waveguide and subsequently subjected to heat treatment to increase the crystallinity of the polymer composite and increase the elastic modulus. Both axial and radial strain fields are effectively interact with cased fiber waveguide for producing measurable phase shift signal for distributed acoustic noise detection.