Behold the multiples! From scourge of imaging to friend of acquisition

Multiple reflections, which have long been considered as noise in marine seismic, can now be used to image the subsurface. The enhanced illumination they provide, especially for the near-surface, leads us to rethink the way we acquire marine surveys. More geophysical objectives can be achieved without increasing the cost of the survey and efficiencies can be gained without compromising the quality of the final image. Both streamer and ocean-bottom seismic surveys can benefit from these new survey designs.