Seismic wavefield migration reconstructing subsurface reflectors
Kirchhoff migration sums seismic amplitudes along diffraction hyperbolas t = 2√((x−ξ)²+z²)/v to image subsurface reflectors. Each point scatterer at depth z produces a hyperbolic moveout in (t,x) data; summing along the correct hyperbola constructively interferes the scattered energy back to the image point. The method is derived from the Kirchhoff integral solution to the wave equation.