An expanded idea of imaging in geophysics through multimodal data analysis

In situations where visual stimuli are uncertain or degraded, auditory perception is crucial and can complement visual perception. Research on multimodal perception has confirmed in many areas of study that the existence of one stimulus can impact the perception of another type of stimulus. Based on these concepts, which are well-established in cognitive sciences, we introduce the idea of expanded (or augmented) imaging in geophysics, which refers to an integrated and coherent data representation based on dual-sensory (audiovisual) perception of the same data set. First, we explain the basic principles of multimodal analysis of seismic data using the theory of augmented imaging. Then, we provide examples and applications on real data at varying spatial scales, from individual seismic traces to entire seismic sections.