Removal of surface-wave noise in seismic data

A method for determining physical structure or a physical property of a subsurface earth region from seismic survey data by removing surface-wave noise from seismic data traces, said data traces corresponding to at least one source location and a plurality of receiver locations in a seismic survey of the subsurface region, said method comprising:

• (a) dividing a near-surface part of the subsurface region into one or more cells;
• (b) simultaneously solving for at least two types of surface-consistent components of the seismic traces, wherein a surface-consistent component characterizes filtering effects either of propagation of a seismic surface wave mode across a cell, called a propagation filter, or due to generation of surface wave energy at a source location, called a source filter or due to receiving of surface wave energy at a receiver location, called a receiver filter, and wherein a “type” of surface-consistent component is one of (i) a propagation filter for one surface wave mode, evaluated at all cells crossed by any of the seismic traces;
• (ii) a source filter, evaluated at all source locations for the seismic traces, or (iii) a receiver filter, evaluated at all receiver locations for the seismic traces;
• and
• (c) computing a surface-wave waveform using said surface-consistent components;
• (d) transforming the seismic data by subtracting or adaptively subtracting the computed surface-wave waveform from the seismic data traces;
• and
• (e) using the seismic data after surface-wave noise removal to determine physical structure or a physical property of the subsurface earth region;
• wherein at least (b)-(d) are performed using a computer.