Identification and classification of multiple reflections with self-organizing maps

Artificial neural networks can be used effectively to identify and classify multiple events in a seismic data set. We use a specialized neural network, a self-organizing map (SOM), that tries to establish rules for the characterization of the physical problem. Selected seismic data attributes from CMP gathers are used as input patterns, such that the SOM arranges the data to form clusters in an abstract space. We show with synthetic and real data how the SOM can identify and classify primaries and multiples, and how it can classify the various types of multiple corresponding to a certain generating mechanism in the subsurface.