deconvolution Inverse filter, or the action of undoing the effect of a previous convolution process. The convolution of the Earth's impulse response R (where R is the set of *reflection coefficients characteristic of particular layered strata) with a wavelet W results in the observed seismic trace S, such that S = R×W. A spike signal (Dirac function) (δ) at time zero is the convolution of the wavelet W with some designed operator D such that D×W = δ. Thus if the operator D is applied to the seismic trace S, R can be obtained: D×S = D×R×W = D×W×R = δ×R = R. (It should be noted that convolution of a spike function δ leaves the function unaltered, hence δ×R = R).

deconvolution See convolution.