One step inversion/separation scheme using a plurality of vibrator sources

An apparatus for recording high resolution vibratory source data comprising:

• means for receiving electrical signals representing reflected seismic information;
• means for receiving measured signals representing actual forces of a source of said reflected seismic information;
• means for performing an inversion function on said electrical signals with said measured signals to obtain inversion electrical signals;
• and
• means for performing minimum phase deconvolution on said inversion electrical signals.

A method for recording and pre-processing high fidelity vibratory seismic data signals generated by a plurality of vibratory seismic sources comprising the steps of:

• measuring the motion of each of the vibratory sources which is related to the vibrator applied force times a transfer function of minimum phase, causal, linear system;
• relating actual vibrator output with said measured vibrator motion;
• determining a ratio by dividing the vibratory seismic data signals by said measured motion of each vibratory source to remove the unknown applied force leaving the earth reflectivity times a time derivative divided by a minimum phase function;
• minimum phase band pass filtering said resulting ratio;
• and
• performing minimum phase deconvolution on said minimum phase band pass filtered ratio to remove the time derivative divided by the transfer function of minimum phase function.