Enhancing Seismic Interpretation: A Study of Modulated RMS Attributes

The study introduces a Modulated RMS formulation, Amod = ARMS [1 + γC], designed to improve structural fidelity. Through a calibration process, researchers optimized variables including window lengths, modulation strengths, and stabilization levels to ensure the attribute effectively highlights local energy contrasts.

Two extensions were developed: a strict despike-aware Modulated RMS, which uses local median clipping to handle noise, and a Weighted Hybrid estimator, which combines logarithmic amplitude compression with weighted RMS to suppress unwanted background noise.

Using synthetic and marine seismic datasets, the researchers compared these new methods against classical RMS. Results show that Modulated RMS is the most effective default for general field data, while the despike-aware and Weighted Hybrid versions offer superior performance in specialized, noisy, or contrast-sensitive scenarios.

The study concludes that these energy-based seismic attributes provide a more geologically meaningful representation of subsurface structures. The findings suggest a three-tier usage strategy, offering practitioners flexible tools to balance fidelity, spike-resistance, and background suppression in seismic interpretation.