static correction

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static correction (statics) A correction applied to geophysical data, especially seismic data, to compensate for the effect of irregular topography, differences in the elevation of shots and geophones relative to a datum, low-velocity surface layers (weathering correction), and the horizontal geometry of shots and receivers (geophones or hydrophones), or any correction which applies to the geometry of the source and receiver(s). A static correction provides some form of direct-current shift (e.g. in seismic-reflection surveys), usually a time element added to or subtracted from the travel times, in contrast to a dynamic correction which involves an operation on the data. See ELEVATION CORRECTION; and MOVEOUT.