Evaluating the Stolt stretch parameter

The Stolt migration extension to a varying velocity case (Stolt stretch) implies describing a vertical heterogeneity by a constant parameter (W ). This paper exploits the connection between modified dispersion relations and traveltime approximations to derive an explicit expression for W . The expression provides theoretically the highest possible accuracy within the Stolt stretch framework. Applications considered include optimal partitioning of the velocity distribution for the cascaded migrations and extension of the Stolt stretch method to transversally isotropic models.