Full-waveform inversion (FWI) has proven its ability to invert high-resolution model parameters. However, its successful application is bounded by the knowledge of an accurate initial model guesses. In order to avoid local minima and allowing for inaccurate initial model estimates, we present a waveform inversion method that makes use of extended images to avoid the well-known issue of cycle skipping. In the context of seismic imaging, we demonstrate the ability of extended images to preserve the elastic amplitude response of pressure data and how they can be employed to perform a target-oriented elastic FWI method to obtain high-resolution elastic properties.

Ettore Biondi earned his B.S. in Geology from the University of Genoa in 2010. He then moved to Pisa where he graduated from the University of Pisa with an M.S. in Geophysics in 2012 and a Chemistry diploma from the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa in 2013. He then worked at the University of Milan in the Geophysics department as a research assistant for two years. He is currently at Stanford University working towards his Ph.D. within the Stanford Exploration Project group.