Adaptive waveform inversion - FWI without cycle skipping

Conventional FWI minimises the direct differences between observed and predicted seismic datasets. Because seismic data are oscillatory, this approach will suffer from the detrimental effects of cycle skipping if the starting model is inaccurate. We reformulate FWI so that it instead adapts the predicted data to the observed data using Wiener filters, and then iterates to improve the model by forcing the Wiener filters towards zero-lag delta functions. This adaptive FWI scheme is demonstrated on synthetic data where it is shown to be immune to cycle skipping, and is able to invert successfully data for which conventional FWI fails entirely. The new method does not require low frequencies or a highly accurate starting model to be successful. Adaptive FWI has some features in common with wave-equation migration velocity analysis, but it works for all types of arrivals including multiples and refractions, and it does not have the high computational costs of WEMVA in 3D.