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[[file:interpreting-seismic-data_fig12-4.png|300px|thumb|{{figure number|1}}Illustration of the bin concept. Copyright: Liner,<ref name=Liner>Liner, C., 1999, Elements of 3-D Seimology: Tulsa, PennWell</ref> courtesy PennWell.]]

[[file:interpreting-seismic-data_fig12-4.png|300px|thumb|{{figure number|1}}Illustration of the bin concept. Copyright: Liner,<ref name=Liner>Liner, C., 1999, Elements of 3-D Seimology: Tulsa, PennWell</ref> courtesy PennWell.]]

For 2-D seismic data, the [[prestack trace]]s are sorted into groups associated with one midpoint on the earth's surface. The 3-D seismic data are sorted into discrete areas called bins. All actual midpoints that fall into the bin area belong to that bin. In effect, a grid is laid over the actual midpoints. Each bin has an in-line and cross-line dimension. The [[fold]] of each bin is the number of traces captured by that bin. Through the [[Basic seismic processing#Common midpoint (CMP) stack|stacking]] process, all traces within a bin are summed to create a single stack trace, greatly improving signal quality.

For 2-D [[seismic data]], the [[prestack trace]]s are sorted into groups associated with one midpoint on the earth's surface. The 3-D seismic data are sorted into discrete areas called bins. All actual midpoints that fall into the bin area belong to that bin. In effect, a grid is laid over the actual midpoints. Each bin has an in-line and cross-line dimension. The [[fold]] of each bin is the number of traces captured by that bin. Through the [[Basic seismic processing#Common midpoint (CMP) stack|stacking]] process, all traces within a bin are summed to create a single stack trace, greatly improving signal quality.

[[:file:interpreting-seismic-data_fig12-4.png|Figure 1]] illustrates the bin concept. The actual midpoints for a well-designed and executed survey will show natural clustering (A). On this cloud of midpoints we impose a grid of bins, each bin capturing all traces whose midpoints lie in it (B). After processing (stacking, [[Seismic migration|migration]], etc.), there is one trace at the center of each bin (C). These are the [[poststack trace|poststack]] data traces we interpret.

[[:file:interpreting-seismic-data_fig12-4.png|Figure 1]] illustrates the bin concept. The actual midpoints for a well-designed and executed survey will show natural clustering (A). On this cloud of midpoints we impose a grid of bins, each bin capturing all traces whose midpoints lie in it (B). After processing (stacking, [[Seismic migration|migration]], etc.), there is one trace at the center of each bin (C). These are the [[poststack trace|poststack]] data traces we interpret.