Non‐iterative multiple‐attenuation methods: linear inverse solutions to non‐linear inverse problems – II. BMG approximation

SUMMARY The classical linear solutions to the problem of multiple attenuation, like predictive deconvolution, τ− p filtering, or F‐K filtering, are generally fast, stable, and robust compared to non‐linear solutions, which are generally either iterative or in the form of a series with an infinite number of terms. These qualities have made the linear solutions more attractive to seismic data‐processing practitioners. However, most linear solutions, including predictive deconvolution or F‐K filtering, contain severe assumptions about the model of the subsurface and the class of free‐surface multiples they can attenuate. These assumptions limit their usefulness. In a recent paper, we described an exception to this assertion for OBS data. We showed in that paper that a linear and non‐iterative solution to the problem of attenuating free‐surface multiples which is as accurate as iterative non‐linear solutions can be constructed for OBS data. We here present a similar linear and non‐iterative solution for attenuating free‐surface multiples in towed‐streamer data. For most practical purposes, this linear solution is as accurate as the non‐linear ones.