SEGJ Technical Conference

General theory to assess the applicability of the spatial autocorrelation method: Application to a two-station case

Abstract We propose a general theory that enables us to evaluate the magnitude of directional aliasing errors in the estimates of spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) coefficients, or systematic errors that arise differently for different numbers of seismic sensors installed around the circle. Our theory allows us to understand general properties of directional aliasing errors from a unified perspective, and also to predict the magnitude of those errors under any specific wavefield condition. By way of illustration, we examine the applicability of the SPAC method to the simplest possible seismic array that consists of just two sensors.