A method and apparatus for a method for generating an estimated value of absorption parameter Q(t). In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an input seismic trace, applying a time variant Fourier transform to the input seismic trace to generate a time variant amplitude spectrum of the input seismic trace, dividing the natural logarithm of the time variant amplitude spectrum by −πf, and performing a power series approximation to the result with an index starting from one to generate an estimated value of R(t). R(t) is a ratio between traveltime t and the absorption parameter Q(t). The method further includes dividing t by R(t) to generate the estimated value of the absorption parameter Q(t).