Statistical analysis of seismic images of fault zones on the base of fault facial model

Interpretation of seismic responses from subsurface fault zones is hampered by the fact that the geological structure and property distributions of fault zones can generally not be directly observed. This shortcoming curtails the use of seismic data for characterizing internal structure and properties of fault zones, and has instead promoted the use of interpretation techniques which tend to simplify actual structural complexity by rendering faults as lines and planes rather than volumes of deformed rock. Facilitating correlation of rock properties and seismic images of fault zones would enable active use of these images for interpreting fault zones, which in turn would improve our ability to assess the impact of fault zones on subsurface fluid flow. The present study employs a combination of 3D fault zones models, based on empirical data, and 2D forward seismic modeling to investigate the link between fault zone properties and seismic response. A comparison of spatial statistics from the geological models and the seismic images was carried out to study how well seismic images render the modelled geological features. Our results show the feasibility of extracting information about fault zone structures from seismic data by the methods employed.