Seismic trace interpolation using half-step prediction filters

A method to perform seismic trace interpolation known as the Spitz method h andles spatially aliased events. The Spitz method uses the unit-step predic tion filter to estimate data spaced at Delta x/2. The missing data are obta ined by solving a complex linear system of equations whose unknowns are the coefficients at the interpolated location. We attack this problem by intro ducing a half-step prediction filter that makes trace interpolation signifi cantly more efficient and easier for implementation. A complex half-step pr ediction filter at frequency f/2 is computed in the least-squares sense to predict odd data components from even ones. At the frequency f, the predict ion operator is shrunk and convolved with the input data spaced at ax to pr edict data at Delta x/2 directly. Instead of solving two systems of linear equations, as proposed by Spitz, only a system for the half-step prediction filter has to be solved. Numerical examples using a marine seismic common- midpoint (CMP) gather and a poststack seismic section were used to illustra te the new interpolation method.