On the fitting of velocity functions to seismic refraction data

Abstract

In this paper the general integral raypath equations for wave propagation in variable velocity media are evaluated for a variety of analytic velocity functions. Procedures for fitting the various functions to empirical time-distance data are developed and compared. The velocity-depth functions V = Vo (1 + KZ)1/n and V = Vo + CvZ offer the best compromise between mathematical tractability and applicability to empirical refraction data exhibiting curvilinear time-distance relationships. [See full text for List of symbols].