Fast nonrecursive 1D inversion by filtering acoustic-reflection data

We derive a fast acoustic inversion method for a piecewise homogeneous horizontally layered medium. The method obtains medium parameters from the reflection response. The method can be implemented to obtain the parameters on either side of a reflector at an arbitrary depth. Three processing steps lead to the inversion result. First, we solve a modified Marchenko type equation to obtain a focusing wavefield. We then apply wavefield continuation across a reflecting boundary to the focusing wavefield and retrieve the reflection coefficient of a reflector as a function of horizontal slowness. Finally, we use the reflection coefficient to obtain the velocities and the ratio of the densities above and below the reflector. Because the two-way traveltime difference of the primary reflection and the one above it becomes known during the process, the thickness of the layer above the reflector is also found. The method can be applied multiple times in different zones, or recursively in a target zone without having to solve more Marchenko type equations. The numerical example illustrates that the method works well on modeled data without the need for a priori model information.