<p>The answer by @aretxabaleta is dealing specifically with seismic data (which was your question). I only want to add that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colors_of_noise" rel="nofollow noreferrer">colour of noise</a> is a general term to describe frequency spectra, that comes from electronics/physics and is used in many other fields (e.g. in <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/02-3122" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Vasseur &amp; Yodzis, 2004, The color of envirnonmental noise. Ecology 85(4)">colour of environmental variability</a>  in ecology). White, blue, brown/red and pink are all terms that describe different frequency spectrums. White coloured noise has a flat power spectrum, brown/red noise is dominated by lower frequencies and blue noise by high frequencies. Red and blue (and pink) noise are hence named after the colour of visible light with those types of frequency spectra.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-05-21T18:57:20.320Z
2021-12-13T21:15:58.837Z
2021-12-13T21:15:58.837Z
fileunderwater
<p>Colored inversion is designed to approximately match the average spectrum of inverted seismic data with the average spectrum observed impedance (<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1190/1.1815711" rel="noreferrer">Lancaster and Whitcombe, 2000</a>). The earth’s reflectivity can be considered fractal, and the resulting amplitude spectrum favors high frequencies (spectral blueing). If there was no preferred frequency, then you would have a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_noise" rel="noreferrer">white spectrum</a>", but as there are some frequencies with more energy, then it is called "colored".</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/t3nmx.png" alt="Figure 4 from Lancaster and Whitcombe: Acoustic impedance from 4 sites in the North Sea "></p>

<p>Figure 4 from Lancaster and Whitcombe: Acoustic impedance from 4 sites in the North Sea </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-12T16:58:08.490Z
This should be the accepted answer. The other answer is relevant information, but does not answer the question (as the author explained).
Matt Hall
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-26T08:28:04.867Z
No idea why I chose the other one (although it's also worth paying attention to). corrected now.
antongrin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-21T16:32:49.113Z
2014-05-21T16:32:49.113Z
arkaia
<p>One of the seismic inversion algorithms is called 'colored' inversion. It is performed in the frequency domain and the point is in building an operator that directly transforms a seismic trace into reflectivity trace.</p>
<p>What does 'colored' mean and why was the specified technique named this way?</p>

<geophysics><seismology><terminology><inversion>
Why is colored seismic inversion called 'colored'?
antongrin
# Why is colored seismic inversion called 'colored'?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-21)

One of the seismic inversion algorithms is called 'colored' inversion. It is performed in the frequency domain and the point is in building an operator that directly transforms a seismic trace into reflectivity trace.

What does 'colored' mean and why was the specified technique named this way?

**Tags:** geophysics, seismology, terminology, inversion


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-05-21. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

Colored inversion is designed to approximately match the average spectrum of inverted seismic data with the average spectrum observed impedance ([Lancaster and Whitcombe, 2000](http://dx.doi.org/10.1190/1.1815711)). The earth’s reflectivity can be considered fractal, and the resulting amplitude spectrum favors high frequencies (spectral blueing). If there was no preferred frequency, then you would have a "[white spectrum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_noise)", but as there are some frequencies with more energy, then it is called "colored".

![Figure 4 from Lancaster and Whitcombe: Acoustic impedance from 4 sites in the North Sea ](https://i.sstatic.net/t3nmx.png)

Figure 4 from Lancaster and Whitcombe: Acoustic impedance from 4 sites in the North Sea

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: This should be the accepted answer. The other answer is relevant information, but does not answer the question (as the author explained).  
> **username_0**: No idea why I chose the other one (although it's also worth paying attention to). corrected now.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-05-21. Score: 7

The answer by @aretxabaleta is dealing specifically with seismic data (which was your question). I only want to add that the [colour of noise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colors_of_noise) is a general term to describe frequency spectra, that comes from electronics/physics and is used in many other fields (e.g. in [colour of environmental variability](https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/02-3122 "Vasseur & Yodzis, 2004, The color of envirnonmental noise. Ecology 85(4)") in ecology). White, blue, brown/red and pink are all terms that describe different frequency spectrums. White coloured noise has a flat power spectrum, brown/red noise is dominated by lower frequencies and blue noise by high frequencies. Red and blue (and pink) noise are hence named after the colour of visible light with those types of frequency spectra.


---

