the invention is a method for performing a stratigraphically - based seed detection in a 3 - d seismic data volume . the method incorporates criteria that honor the layered nature of the subsurface so that the resulting seismic objects are stratigraphically reasonable . the method may be used to extract from a seismic data volume all seismic objects that satisfy the input criteria . alternatively , the method may be used to determine the size and shape of a specific seismic object in a seismic data volume .