Investigation of the tilted transverse isotropy of P-wave velocity in dunes in eastern Saudi Arabia

Seismic exploration in desert environments with extensive dunes presents significant challenges due to the complex topography and internal laminations within the dunes. This study addresses the challenges facing seismic data acquisition in dune environments by modeling a dune as a tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) medium. We test our dune model using a circular receiver array with a source at its center over a flat-topped dune with observable dipping laminations to study how the P-wave velocity changes with azimuth. Because velocity increases sharply with depth in dunes, we use the traveltimes of the diving direct arrival at each receiver to estimate the azimuthal variations in instantaneous P-wave velocity at the maximum depth of the diving ray. The results revealed weak TTI anisotropy in the dune, with Thomsen parameters of ϵ = 0.098 and δ = 0.087. These findings have important implications for subsurface exploration involving azimuthal studies in arid regions with extensive dune coverage, such as the Rub' Al-Khali desert in Saudi Arabia. Accurately estimating Thomsen parameters in these environments helps improve seismic interpretation, which supports more effective resource exploration and geophysical assessments in difficult desert terrains.