Back‐projection stacking of P‐ and S‐waves to determine location and focal mechanism of microseismic events recorded by a surface array

We present an automatic method of processing microseismic data acquired at the surface by a star‐like array. The back‐projection approach allows successive determination of the hypocenter position of each event and of its focal mechanisms. One‐component vertical geophone groups and three‐component accelerometers are employed to monitor both P‐ and S‐waves. Hypocenter coordinates are determined in a grid by back‐projection stacking of the short‐time‐average‐to‐long‐time‐average ratio of absolute amplitudes at vertical components and polarization norm derived from horizontal components of the P‐ and S‐waves, respectively. To make the location process more efficient, calculation is started with a coarse grid and zoomed to the optimum hypocenter using an oct‐tree algorithm. The focal mechanism is then determined by stacking the vertical component seismograms corrected for the theoretical P‐wave polarity of the focal mechanism. The mechanism is resolved in the coordinate space of strike, dip, and rake angles. The method is tested on 34 selected events of a dataset of hydraulic fracture monitoring of a shale gas play in North America. It was found that, by including S‐waves, the vertical accuracy of locations improved by a factor of two and is equal to approximately the horizontal location error. A twofold enhancement of horizontal location accuracy is achieved if a denser array of geophone groups is used instead of the sparse array of three‐component seismometers. The determined focal mechanisms are similar to those obtained by other methods applied to the same dataset.     

基于各向异性分析的微地震震源矢量场重建和裂缝解释

针对微地震裂缝解释的复杂性,从震源矢量场的重建开始研究,在研究VTI介质速度模型各向异性条件下的走时和透射系数的变化特征基础上,形成了各向异性条件下的群、相速度及透射系数的计算方法.针对多级检波器水平分量朝向的多向性特点,提出了多级检波器水平分量的偏振分析方法,得到了完整的水平特征矢量,克服了单级检波器水平分量偏振分析构建特征矢量信息不全的问题,形成了高精度微地震事件定位方法,实现各向异性VTI介质速度模型的高斯束微地震格林函数正演模拟.利用格林函数模拟场、观测记录场,从构建完整场研究入手,重建震源矢量场.根据重建的震源矢量场,提出了裂缝解释的全新的系列方法,包括单条裂缝、裂缝网络的解释方法.通过实际资料的测试分析,验证了研究技术的实用性.     

Locating microseismic events using borehole data

Constraining microseismic hypocentres in and around hydrocarbon reservoirs and their overburdens is essential for the monitoring of deformation related to hydraulic fracturing, production and injection and the assessment of reservoir security for CO₂ and wastewater storage. Microseismic monitoring in hydrocarbon reservoirs can be achieved via a variety of surface and subsurface acquisition geometries. In this study we use data from a single, subsurface, vertical array of sensors. We test an existing technique that uses a 1D velocity model to constrain locations by minimizing differential S‐to‐P arrival times for individual sensors. We show that small errors in either arrival time picks or the velocity model can lead to large errors in depth, especially near velocity model discontinuities where events tend to cluster. To address this issue we develop two methods that use all available arrival times simultaneously in the inversion, thus maximizing the number of potential constraints from to N, where N is the number of phase picks. The first approach minimizes all available arrival time pairs whilst the second approach, the equal distance time (EDT) method defines the hypocentre as the point where the maximum number of arrival time surfaces intersect. We test and compare the new location procedures with locations using differential S‐to‐P times at each individual sensor on a microseismic data set recorded by a vertical array of sensors at the Ekofisk reservoir in the North Sea. Specifically, we test each procedure's sensitivity to perturbations in measured arrival times and the velocity model using Monte Carlo analysis. In general, location uncertainties increase with increasing raypath length. We show that errors in velocity model estimates are the most significant source of uncertainty in source location with these experiments. Our tests show that hypocentres determined by the new procedures are less sensitive to erroneous measurements and velocity model uncertainties thus reducing the potential for misinterpretation of the results.     

基于异向波速模型的微震定位改进

针对波速分层的区域岩体,在异向波速模型的基础上,对垂向上的应力波按岩体波速值大小作分段区别,推导震源应力波走时关系式,建立分层速度定位目标函数,基于此提出一种由参数准备、层速度反演、微震定位三个模块组成的分层速度定位模型SV,并采用遗传算法进行优化求解.然后,对分层速度定位模型在已构建微震监测系统的白鹤滩水电站左岸岩质边坡进行验证.微震事件重定位结果表明,分层速度定位模型定位微震事件的最大、最小和平均偏离层内错动带程度指标较单一速度模型分别降低了57.17%、36.51%和57.35%,证明了定位模型在波速分层的区域岩体微震定位应用中比单一速度定位模型更加合理可靠.     

Improvements in mining induced microseismic source locations at the Lucky Friday mine using an automated whole-waveform analysis system

For years, severe rockburst problems at the Lucky Friday mine in northern Idaho have been a persistent safety hazard and an impediment to production. An MP250 based microseismic monitoring system, which uses simple voltage threshold picking of first arrivals, has been used in this mine since 1973 to provide source locations and energy estimates of seismic events. Recently, interest has been expressed in developing a whole waveform microseismic monitoring system for the mine to provide more accurate source locations and information about source characteristics. For this study, we have developed a prototype whole-waveform microseismic monitoring system based on a 80386 computer equipped with a 50 kHz analog-digital convertor board. The software developed includes a data collection program, a data analysis program, and an event detection program. Whole-waveform data collected and analyzed using this system during a three-day test have been employed to investigate sources of error in the hypocenter location process and to develop an automatic phase picker appropriate for microseismic events.Comparison of hypocenter estimates produced by the MP250 system to those produced by the whole-waveform system shows that significant timing errors are common in the MP250 system and that these errors caused a large part of the scatter evident in the daily activity plots produced at the mine. Simulations and analysis of blast data show that analytical control over the solutions is strongly influenced by the array geometry. Within the geophone array, large errors in the velocity model or moderate timing errors may result in small changes in the solution, but outside the array, the solution is very sensitive to small changes in the data.Our whole-waveform detection program picks event onset times and determines event durations by analysis of a segmented envelope function (SEF) derived from the microseismic signal. The detection program has been tested by comparing its arrival time picks to those generated by human analysis of the data set. The program picked 87% of the channels that were picked by hand with a standard error of 0.75 milliseconds. Source locations calculated using times provided by our entire waveform detection program were similar to those calculated using hand-picked arrival times. In particular, they show far less scatter than source locations calculated using arrival times based on simple voltage threshold picking of first arrivals.     

BSN矿山微震监测技术及其应用

深井高应力、高岩压诱发的冒顶、片帮、塌方、岩爆等地压灾害严重影响了矿山安全生产。随着高精度、高采样率传感器的研发和计算机技术的飞速发展,微震高精度实时监测技术不断完善,微震监测已成为矿山地压灾害监测预警的重要手段。通过设计、研发完全自主知识产权的BSN(BGRIMM Seismic Network)微震监测系统,实现了微震信号数据采集、多通道时钟同步、噪声压制、到时自动拾取、震源定位等功能,并结合统计地震学的相关方法,初步实现了基于微震活动性分析的岩体危险性评价。本文主要从矿山微震监测数据采集、预处理、定位、活动性分析等模块介绍BSN微震监测系统全流程,并对监测系统在广西某矿山的实际应用案例进行分析。     

海原西断层松山附近地区微震尾波Q值——中法合作数字微震监测台(网)应用之一

利用中法合作建立的微震数字地震台的资料研究了海原西断层松山附近地区的微震尾波的衰减特征．计算了１７０次地震的７个频带的尾波Ｑｃ值，得出该地区尾波衰减可用Ｑｃ＝５２ｆ１．０９表示，表明这个地区是构造活动水平较高的地区．     

复小波包域的微震信号分析提取方法

提出了一种在复小波包域分析提取微震信号的新方法。此方法先采用复小波包分解同时获得信号的幅值信息和相位信息,再采用一种称为“比值加权”的复小波包重构法,重构出信噪比大大增强的微震信号。实际应用表明这种新方法在提取微震信号,提高信噪比方面效果显著。     

Using microtremors for microseismic zonation in Cairo’s crowded, urban areas

In order to determine the fundamental period of soil vibrations in Cairo, 174 microtremors stations, in conjunction with mobile accelerographs, were used. The result was a collection of long-period microtremors and ambient noise arising from cultural disturbances. The Nile Valley shows some fixed peaks at 2.5–3.5 Hz at the center of the basin, while the Nile’s surrounding area shows a fundamental peak of 4–5 Hz, leaving a 5–7-Hz resonance peak for the sand-like, gravelly soil from Abbasiya to the airport. A frequency-dependent soil amplification map is drawn, which includes seismic microzonation maps for Cairo. Based on the above, a maximum acceleration map for two important earthquakes affecting Egypt in the last century is produced (Faiyum, 1992, and Aqaba, 1995).     

基于随机反传和筛选模型的微震逆时定位成像

对于常规的逆时定位成像方法,成像结果中强震源的成像值通常远大于并且会掩盖弱震源;同时,成像结果中假象的压制与消除也一直是该技术中颇受关注且比较难解决的问题.对此,本文结合了混合成像条件与高通滤波,从图像对比度的角度加强定位成像效果.提出了反传检波点随机选择的方法,通过重复进行随机选择与随机分组,从而得到不同震源的、包括一些冗余在内的更多信息,通过对信息的融合以提高定位可靠性.提出了筛选模型的概念,将成像过程中各点的波场反传序列引入震源判断标准,构建函数以大致量化震源存在的可能性,结合阈值,构造出由0和1组成"筛选模型",对成像结果进行通过性选择,以此消除假象并提高震源识别的正确性.通过简单模型和复杂模型,验证了本文提出方法的有效性以及对各类干扰因素的适应性与抵抗性.