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Full waveform inversion for a long-wavelength velocity model using a regenerated wavefield based on the SWEET method

Seoje Jeong1 ,  Sumin Kim2 ,  Woohyun Son3 ,  Wookeen Chung2*
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1 Department of Convergence Study on the Ocean Science and Technology, Ocean Science and Technology School, National Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Busan, Republic of Korea
2 Department of Energy and Resources Engineering, National Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Busan, Republic of Korea
3 Marine Geology and Energy Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
JSE, 025370071 https://doi.org/10.36922/JSE025370071
Submitted: 11 September 2025 | Revised: 3 November 2025 | Accepted: 10 November 2025 | Published: 2 December 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

In full waveform inversion (FWI), long-wavelength velocity models are essential for accurately estimating subsurface physical parameters. However, building long-wavelength velocity models with low-frequency components is challenging due to mechanical limitations in seismic data acquisition. We propose a novel FWI method that utilizes a regenerated wavefield derived from the Suppressed Wave Equation Estimation of Traveltime (SWEET) algorithm. The regenerated wavefield in our approach was obtained by convolving the arbitrary source wavelet with a Green’s function, which is represented by the first-arrival traveltime and amplitude extracted from the SWEET algorithm. Our approach can build long-wavelength velocity models, provided that a low-frequency wavelet is used. Furthermore, the potential for multi-scale inversion was demonstrated by gradually increasing the frequency of the source wavelet, leading to the acquisition of high-resolution models. In numerical examples, our proposed algorithm was validated using both synthetic and field data sets. We also assessed the noise sensitivity of the proposed method, confirming its applicability in practical scenarios. These results demonstrate that the proposed method is a robust and versatile tool for constructing long-wavelength and high-resolution velocity models from band-limited seismic data.

Keywords
Full waveform inversion
Long-wavelength velocity model
SWEET method
Regenerated wavefield
Multi-scale inversion
Funding
This research was supported by the Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion (KIMST), funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea (RS-2023- 00259633); and the Basic Research Project “Development of operation management infrastructure for TAMHAE 3 and seamless seismic technology connecting coastal areas (25-3322)” of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Journal of Seismic Exploration, Print ISSN: 0963-0651, Published by AccScience Publishing
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