Generalized Radon transform inversions for reflectivity in anisotropic elastic media

The resolution analysis of generalized Radon transform (GRT) inversion of seismic data is carried out in general anisotropic media. The GRT inversion formula is derived from the ray-Born approximation of the wave field for volume scatterers. However, by considering scattering surfaces in the resolution analysis, rather than parameter perturbations, we show that the inversion provides a reflectivity map and reflection/transmission coefficients as functions of scattering angles and azimuths. Those coefficients can be subjected to any type of amplitude versus angle (AVA) or amplitude versus offset (AVO) analysis. By applying the inversion to Kirchhoff approximate data rather than Born approximate data, we show that the output is actually linear in the reflection coefficients and, hence, a nonlinear function of the change in medium parameters across discontinuity surfaces-the reflectors of the medium.