Mapping directional variations in seismic character using gray-level co-occurrence matrix-based attributes

Texture attributes describe the spatial arrangement of neighboring amplitudes values within a given analysis window. We chose a statistical texture classification method, the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), and its derived attributes, to produce a semiautomated description of the spatial arrangement of seismic facies. The GLCM is a measure of how often different combinations of neighboring pixel values occur. We tested the application of directional GLCM-based attributes for the detection of seismic variability within paleoriver features. Calculation of 3D GLCM-based attributes can be done in 13 space directions. The results of GLCM-based attribute calculation differed depending on the chosen GLCM parameters (number of gray levels, analysis window, and direction of calculation). We specifically focused on how the direction of calculation influenced the computation of attributes, while keeping other parameters constant. We first tested the workflow on a 2D training image and later ran on a real seismic amplitude volume from the Vienna Basin. Based on the GLCM-based attributes, we could map the channel features and extract them as geobodies. Additionally, we generated a new set of directional GLCM-based attributes to detect spatial changes in the seismic facies. By comparing these directional attributes, we could determine areas within the channel features having higher directional variability. Areas with higher tendency to directional variations might be associated with changes in lithology, seismic facies, or with seismic anisotropy.