Empirical mode decomposition for seismic time-frequency analysis

Time-frequency analysis plays a significant role in seismic data processing and interpretation. Complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition decomposes a seismic signal into a sum of oscillatory components, with guaranteed positive and smoothly varying instantaneous frequencies. Analysis on synthetic and real data demonstrates that this method promises higher spectral-spatial resolution than the short-time Fourier transform or wavelet transform. Application on field data thus offers the potential of highlighting subtle geologic structures that might otherwise escape unnoticed.