Pseudo S-wave splitting effects associated with poor receiver coupling on ocean bottom multi component data

Shear wave splitting analysis can provide knowledge about, among other properties, principal stress directions and fracture orientation. It is an essential step in multi-component, converted wave processing, with several successful examples in the literature. Caution must be taken, however, when performing such analysis on ocean bottom cable seismic data, which is highly susceptible to poor coupling effects between cables and the seafloor. We show how these coupling effects can simulate conventional splitting behavior that, once corrected, may reveal true splitting effects to be addressed.