1. n. [Geophysics]

A bin is a subdivision of a seismic survey. The area of a three-dimensional survey is divided into bins, which are commonly on the order of 25 m [82 ft] long and 25 m wide; traces are assigned to specific bins according to the midpoint between the source and the receiver, reflection point, or conversion point. Bins are commonly assigned according to common midpoint (CMP), but more sophisticated seismic processing allows for other types of binning. Traces within a bin are stacked to generate the output trace for that bin. Data quality depends in part on the number of traces per bin, or the fold.

See related terms: fold,  stack,  three-dimensional seismic data,  trace

2. vb. [Geophysics]

To "bin" is to sort seismic data into small areas according to the midpoint between the source and the receiver, reflection point or conversion point prior to stacking.

See related terms: stack