SHEAR-WAVE REFLECTION PROFILING FOR NEAR-SURFACE LIGNITE EXPLORATION*

We present the results of a shear-wave reflection experiment and in situ measurements in opencast lignite exploration. Near-surface coal seams have lower shear-wave velocities (～ 200 m/s) and lower densities than sand and clay layers. Due to strong reflection coefficients, a shear-wave reflection survey provides a powerful tool in lignite prospecting. Due to shorter seismic wavelengths shear waves will yield a higher resolution of shallow subsurface structure than compressional waves. Low shear-wave velocities and strong lateral velocity variations, however, require a dense data acquisition in the field. The variation of stacking velocities can exceed ± 15% within a profile length of 300 m. The different steps in processing and interpretation of results are described with actual records. The final CMP-stack shows steep-angle fault zones with maximum dislocations of 20 m within a coal seam.     

Shear-wave velocity estimation using a combination of ambient noise from small aperture array and small-scale active seismic measurements: a case study in the area of the natural gas fields of Northern Germany

In recent years, numerous induced seismic events have occurred in the proximity of the natural gas field in Northern Germany. To monitor the seismicity and to asses the seismic hazard potential, a local monitoring network was installed in the area. Focusing on the seismicity hazard assessment, a major challenge is the characterisation of potential site effects due to local soil characteristics. This is quantitatively performed by estimating the shear-wave velocity (V _s) variation with subsurface layer thickness. Such local effects can only be covered with a coarse spatial resolution due to the limited number of monitoring stations. Profiles were determined at three test sites (Langwedel, Walle and Bomlitz) by using a combined approach of small aperture 2D array ambient noise and small-scale active 1D measurements. The high-resolution frequency-wavenumber (HRFK), spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) methods were applied to the recorded ambient noise and active seismic data using various array sizes supplemented by the active measurements. This jointly allowed obtaining phase velocity dispersion curves covering a wide frequency range from 2 up to 32 Hz. The inversion of the obtained dispersion curves results in average S-wave velocity profiles down to depths of 70 m, identifying thin near-surface layers of a few meters as well as thicker layers of tens of meters in greater depth. A comparison with available borehole data shows a good correlation with the layering. Additionally, to asses the impact of a seismic event at the test sites, PGV estimations for various seismic events were performed. The final results of the test surveys demonstrate that the combined approach represents a suitable tool for near-surface characterisation, which can be used to improve the seismic hazard assessment in the area of the natural gas fields in Northern Germany.     

3D near-surface soil response from H/V ambient-noise ratios

The applicability of the horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) ambient-noise spectral ratio for characterizing earthquake site effects caused by near-surface topography and velocity structures was evaluated at sites underlain by thick (i.e. >100 m) sediment deposits near the southern-end of the New Madrid seismic zone in the central United States. Three-component ambient-noise and velocity models derived from seismic (shear-wave) refraction/reflection surveys showed that a relatively horizontal, sharp shear-wave velocity interface in the soil column resulted in an H/V spectral ratio with a single well-defined peak. Observations at sites with more than one sharp shear-wave velocity contrast and horizontally arranged soil layers resulted in at least two well-defined H/V spectral ratio peaks. Furthermore, at sites where there were sharp shear-wave velocity contrasts in nonhorizontal, near-surface soil layers, the H/V spectra exhibited a broad-bandwidth, relatively low-amplitude signal instead of a single well-defined peak.     

EXTENSIVE-DILATANCY ANISOTROPY: RELATIVE INFORMATION IN VSPs AND REFLECTION SURVEYS1

Shear-waves have complicated interactions with the free surface, particularly in the presence of low-velocity surface layers, topographic irregularities, and the expected near-surface crack and stress anomalies. Consequently, it has been suggested that shear-waves should be recorded subsurface in vertical seismic profiles (VSPs), in order to extract accurate information about the in situ crack and stress geometry contained in shear-wave splitting. This paper compares the information in synthetic shear-waves in reflection gathers and VSPs, in order to assess the relative merits of the two techniques for investigating shear-wave splitting. Synthetic seismograms demonstrate that in the presence of even very simple surface layers, shear-waves recorded in reflection surveys at the surface have polarizations which may not indicate crack and stress geometry at depth. In contrast, shear-waves recorded in VSPs are relatively unaffected by surface layers and near-surface stress and crack anomalies, and the behaviour of shear-wave splitting is dominated by the structure of the rock mass in the vicinity of subsurface geophones. Matrix rotations of multicomponent-multisource shear-wave reflection data to extract the information contained in the split shear-waves, are found to be directly meaningful only in situations where crack orientations do not change with depth.     

Some SH-wave seismic reflections from depths of less than three metres

Shallow SH-wave reflections are far from routine, although their study can provide insights into important properties of near-surface materials that cannot be inferred from P-wave data alone. Difficulties in separating SH-wave reflections from Love waves are generally considered the major obstacle to progress in shallow SH-wave seismic reflection. This may be the case in surveys undertaken at great depths, but it is not necessarily true for reflection data gathered at shallow and ultra-shallow depths. This paper shows that when SH-wave data possess wavelengths greater than the thickness of the superficial layer, Love waves are not greatly dispersed. In this case, misinterpretation between parts of reflection hyperbolae and waveguide arrivals is sufficiently limited. In a one-layer model earth, which well approximates typical situations of the near-surface underground, the most energetic modes (the lowermost modes) of the dispersed surface waves have a dominant frequency band that falls below the wavelet spectrum of the shallow reflections; therefore, they can be filtered out in the frequency domain. Higher modes, although their spectral content overlaps that of the reflections, exhibit small amplitudes on seismograms and leave strong reflections unaffected.We present field examples from three different sites where we were able to obtain ultra-shallow reflections (< 3 m) in unconsolidated sediments. The high level of resolution (vertical resolution up to 15 cm) suggests that SH-wave reflection imaging has the potential to complement other high-resolution techniques, such as P-wave reflection and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) imaging, allowing a better and more complete characterization of the near-surface environments.     

Key elements of regional seismic velocity models for long period ground motion simulations

Regional 3-D seismic velocity models used for broadband strong motion simulations must include compressional-wave velocity (Vp), shear-wave velocity (Vs), intrinsic attenuation (Qp, Qs), and density. Vs and Qs are the most important of these parameters because the strongest ground motions are generated chiefly by shear- and surface-wave arrivals. Because Vp data are more common than Vs data, many researchers first develop a Vp model and convert it to a Vs model. I describe recent empirical relations between Vs, Vp, Qs, Qp, and density that allow velocity models to be rapidly and accurately calculated. The U. S. government reserves the right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free license in and to any copyright.     

武汉市区土体剪切波速与深度的经验关系

通过对武汉市区3个主要地质单元共8 305个剪切波速数据的分析整理,分别运用线性函数、一元二次多项式函数、指数函数对武汉市区不同地貌单元不同土类的剪切波速与深度的关系进行统计回归,得到其经验关系。结果表明,武汉市区土体剪切波速与埋深相关性比较明显;一元二次多项式函数的拟合效果最好。将实测数据与利用经验关系得到的预测值进行对比检验,两者基本吻合,可供武汉市区场地剪切波速数据缺乏时参考使用。     

Contributions to a shallow aquifer study by reprocessed seismic sections from petroleum exploration surveys, eastern Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The US Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Drilling Company of Abu Dhabi, is conducting a 4-year study of the fresh and slightly saline groundwater resources of the eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate. Most of this water occurs in a shallow aquifer, generally less than 150 m deep, in the Al Ain area. A critical part of the Al Ain area coincides with a former petroleum concession area where about 2780 km of vibroseis data were collected along 94 seismic lines during 1981–1983. Field methods, acquistion parameters, and section processing were originally designed to enhance reflections expected at depths ranging from 5000 to 6000 m, and subsurface features directly associated with the shallow aquifer system were deleted from the original seismic sections. The original field tapes from the vibroseis survey were reprocessed in an attempt to extract shallow subsurface information (depths less than 550 m) for investigating the shallow aquifer.A unique sequence of reproccessing parameters was established after reviewing the results from many experimental tests. Many enhancements to the resolution of shallow seismic reflections resulted from: (1) application of a 20-Hz, low-cut filter; (2) recomputation of static corrections to a datum nearer the land surface; (3) intensive velocity analyses; and (4) near-trace muting analyses. The number, resolution, and lateral continuity of shallow reflections were greatly enhanced on the reprocessed sections, as was the delineation of shallow, major faults. Reflections on a synthetic seismogram, created from a borehole drilled to a depth of 786 m on seismic line IQS-11, matcheddprecisely with shallow reflections on the reprocessed section. The 33 reprocessed sections were instrumental in preparing a map showing the major structural features that affect the shallow aquifer system. Analysis of the map provides a better understanding of the effect of these shallow features on the regional occurrence, movement, and quality of groundwater in the concession area. Results from this study demonstrate that original seismic field tapes collected for deep petroleum exploration can be reprocessed to explore for groundwater.     

SHEAR-WAVE VELOCITY ESTIMATION IN POROUS ROCKS: THEORETICAL FORMULATION,PRELIMINARY VERIFICATION AND APPLICATIONS1

Shear-wave velocity logs are useful for various seismic interpretation applications, including bright spot analyses, amplitude-versus-offset analyses and multicomponent seismic interpretations. Measured shear-wave velocity logs are, however, often unavailable. We developed a general method to predict shear-wave velocity in porous rocks. If reliable compressional-wave velocity, lithology, porosity and water saturation data are available, the precision and accuracy of shear-wave velocity prediction are 9% and 3%, respectively. The success of our method depends on: (1) robust relationships between compressional- and shear-wave velocities for water-saturated, pure, porous lithologies; (2) nearly linear mixing laws for solid rock constituents; (3) first-order applicability of the Biot–Gassmann theory to real rocks. We verified these concepts with laboratory measurements and full waveform sonic logs. Shear-wave velocities estimated by our method can improve formation evaluation. Our method has been successfully tested with data from several locations.     

Analyzing seismic imagery in the time–amplitude and time–frequency domains to determine fluid nature and migration pathways: A case study from the Queen Charlotte Basin,offshore British Columbia

Combining time–amplitude and time–frequency information from seismic reflection data sets of different resolutions allows the analysis of anomalous reflections from very-shallow to great subsurface depths. Thus, it can enhance the imaging of subsurface features which have a frequency-dependent reflectivity such as gas. Analysing seismic data of different resolution in the time–amplitude and time–frequency domains is a powerful method to determine hydrocarbon migration pathways from deep reservoirs to the seafloor. This interpretation method has been applied to the formerly-glaciated offshore Queen Charlotte Basin hosting several seafloor pockmarks and mounds associated with the leakage of underlying hydrocarbon reservoirs. Low-frequency shadows observed in the time–frequency domain provide evidence of different resolutions that several anomalous reflection amplitudes may be attributed to the occurrence of gas. The seismic imagery shows that gas uses a fault to migrate from deep reservoirs included in Upper Mesozoic strata towards secondary reservoirs located along the fault plane into Neogene layers. Once gas reaches a porous cut-and-fill succession, migration changes from structurally- to stratigraphically-controlled before gas leaks through unconsolidated Quaternary sediments forming the shallow subsurface to eventually seep at the seafloor where pockmarks and carbonate mounds are formed.     

基于背景噪声成像方法的新疆呼图壁储气库地区近地表速度结构研究

近年来,背景噪声成像方法在恢复高频面波信号及获取近地表速度结构方面得到了广泛的应用,本文将该方法应用于准噶尔盆地南缘的呼图壁背斜地区的呼图壁储气库.采用储气库及其周边区域22个台站记录的连续背景噪声数据的垂直分量,通过噪声互相关方法获得了台站对之间的瑞利面波经验格林函数,并进一步提取了0.5~1.5 s的基阶瑞利面波群速度频散曲线.首先根据区域平均频散曲线得到了该地区地下数百米的平均一维横波速度结构,然后利用基于面波射线路径追踪的面波频散直接成像方法得到该地区深度为500 m以上的三维横波速度结构.反演结果显示该地区沉积层较厚,整体横波速度值较小（0.4~0.9 km·s^-1）.储气库在地表投影区域的横波速度值较小,这可能是由于抽注水、气引起的沉积岩石裂隙所导致.储气库东北和东南方向均有明显的相对高速区,推测是区域地下水位和地形起伏综合作用的结果.本研究获得的近地表三维速度结构为呼图壁储气库地区的上覆地层物性研究、区域微震精定位、场地效应的评估和去除浅层影响的深部介质成像等研究提供了重要基础.

     

Shallow Seismic Velocity Structure of the Betic Cordillera (Southern Spain) from Modelling of Rayleigh Wave Dispersion

A detailed dispersion analysis of Rayleigh waves generated by local earthquakes and occasionally by blasts that occurred in southern Spain, was undertaken to obtain the shear-wave velocity structure of the region at shallow depth. Our database includes seismograms generated by 35 seismic events that were recorded by 15 single-component short-period stations from 1990 to 1995. All these events have focal depths less than 10 km and body-wave magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0, and they were all recorded at distances between 40 and 300 km from the epicentre. We analysed a total of 90 source-station Rayleigh-wave paths. The collected data were processed by standard digital filtering techniques to obtain Rayleigh-wave group-velocity dispersion measurements. The path-averaged group velocities vary from 1.12 to 2.25 km/s within the 1.0-6.0 s period interval. Then, using a stochastic inversion approach we obtained 1-D shear-wave velocity–depth models across the study area, which were resolved to a depth of circa 5 km. The inverted shear-wave velocities range approximately between 1.0 and 3.8 km/s with a standard deviation range of 0.05–0.16 km/s, and show significant variations from region to region. These results were combined to produce 3-D images via volumetric modelling and data visualization. We present images that show different shear velocity patterns for the Betic Cordillera. Looking at the velocity distribution at various depths and at vertical sections, we discuss of the study area in terms of subsurface structure and S-wave velocity distribution (low velocity channels, basement depth, etc.) at very shallow depths (0–5 km). Our results characterize the region sufficiently and lead to a correlation of shear-wave velocity with the different geological units features.     

复杂构造地震波场分析(英文)

在我国的西部地区,地震波场十分复杂,信噪比低。本文采用波动方程正演模拟的方法研究复杂波场的形成原因。在模拟物性差异较大介质中的地震波场时,密度的影响不可忽略,因此,本文用含密度项的声波方程的交错网格有限差分法模拟地震波场并进行分析。设计了一个具有起伏地表、低速覆盖层和高速地层出露的复杂构造,从瞬时波场分布分析了形成复杂波场的原因。低速层对地震波场的影响明显,低速层中产生很强的槽波,低速层顶底形成的多次反射向地下传播又形成了复杂的反射波场。为了验证波场模拟结果的可靠性,对模拟波场用与正演模拟不同的算法进行叠前深度偏移,得到了与已知构造相同的偏移叠加剖面。     

浅层地震资料解释陷阱(英文)

高分辨率浅层地震方法是在近地表调查中使用最为广泛的方法。然而,在许多情况下,地震资料的解释经常会出现错误。在本文中,我们介绍了三个例子,分析了造成P波,SH波,多道的面波(MASW)地震资料解释的错误原因,大都是由于在表面或地下条件约束不确当引起的。第一个例子是P波反射剖面上的一个波的特征被解释为浅层断裂带,但后来证实它是由高水平的背景噪音引起的,因为采集测线通过了一个公路交叉口。第二个例子是SH波反射地震剖面上一个波特征被解释为是逆倾向滑断层,但有针对性的钻探表明,它是一个侵入到基岩面的一个深层局部侵蚀。最后,第三个例子,MASW调查剖面上,一个陡倾特征一开始被解释为基岩谷。然而,后来的钻探表明这是一个非常软的湖泊沉积物,后者严重损坏了应用面波频段。虽然最初的解释是不正确的,但这刺激地球物理学家和地质学家之间的讨论,并强调地球物理数据采集的时候,采集之前以及采集之后需要科学家之间有意义的合作与讨论。     

Mapping of thin sandy aquifers by using high resolution reflection seismics and 2-D electrical tomography

Electrical tomography, which gives good results even in fairly complex geological environments, has given a new lease of life to electrical methods in hydrogeological surveys. Nevertheless, a rapid decline in resolution with increasing depth remains the main problem of the electrical methods. In the Pannonian basin in Croatia, at a test area, combining both electrical tomography and seismic reflection methods provides data that better constrain the lithological and hydrogeological model of the subsurface.Electrical tomography revealed a rather thick packet of sediments with increased resistivity at depths of 40–100 m. Using the electrical forward modelling, the existence of two different hydrogeological models was shown. The first model presupposes a reasonably homogeneous packet of sandy clays or clayey sands, and the other model presupposes the alternation between layers of clays and sands. From the hydrogeological point of view, the second model is perspective, but unfortunately, the use of electrical tomography alone does not allow the ambiguity to be resolved. The separation of these two models became possible using seismic reflection. Three seismic environments were isolated from the seismic profile treated, and the strongest reflections were discovered in the first seismic environment, which covers the depths from 40 to 100 m. It was determined that the second model is more acceptable, because these reflections are caused by lithological changes, that is, the alternations of sands and clays. The interpretation is consistent with exploratory borehole data. The conclusion is that electrical tomography gives data concerning the sediment lithology up to depths of 40 m, but at greater depths combined interpretation of electrical and seismic data constrains the subsurface model better.     

Imaging of groundwater resources in glacial deposits using high-resolution reflection seismics, Sweden

Two high-resolution reflection seismic profiles were acquired in the Heby area of eastern Sweden over glacial deposits for the purpose of mapping groundwater resources. The majority of shot points were located in clay resulting in good quality data along most of the profiles. On stacked and migrated sections, the uppermost clay is about 20 m thick and is characterized by its subhorizontal reflectivity. Sand/gravel deposits below it contain more dipping interfaces and have a chaotic reflectivity pattern. Depth to bedrock is interpreted to be 90 and 65 m on the respective profiles and occurs in about a 100-m-wide trough on both profiles. Reflections from the tops of sandy gravel zones generally have higher amplitudes. Clear reflections from a thin silt layer (20 cm thick) at about 10-m depth are observed on one of the profiles. Elastic finite difference modeling and the observation of this reflection in shot gathers show that the reflection is not an artifact of the acquisition nor the processing. The modeling also shows that there is no marked low-velocity waveguide in the near surface, but that an effective low Q zone may be present. Comparison with refraction profiling on the other profile shows that there is better agreement between the reflection seismic results and penetration tests than the refraction results with these tests. Both profiles allow the thickness of the overlying clay layers to be determined, as well as the thickness of the underlying sand/gravel deposits. This is important for estimating the amount of groundwater resources in an area.     

基于约束条件横波速度反演和流体替代

依据辽东湾地区一组在地层条件和不同流体相态下（气饱和与水饱和）实验室测定的岩石纵波速度、横波速度及密度等数据,讨论Gassmann方程在横波速度反演和流体替代方面的应用效果,指出岩石骨架剪切模量和体积模量估算精度是影响纵波、横波速度预测精度的关键因素之一,提出基于约束条件横波速度反演和流体替代方法,速度预测精度的改善十分明显.     

郯庐断裂带合肥段五河—合肥断裂构造特征

五河—合肥断裂是郯庐断裂带的西边界断裂,该断裂穿过合肥市城区,是1条规模较大、切割较深的隐伏活动断裂.为了研究该断裂的浅部结构特征、空间展布以及断裂活动性,我们利用2015年在合肥盆地完成的深地震反射剖面数据,采用初至波层析成像方法得到了郯庐断裂带合肥段的浅层P波速度结构和构造形态;考虑到仅根据速度结构剖面还难以确定断裂的准确位置、断层上断点埋深、断层的近地表构造组合样式等特征,研究中跨五河—合肥断裂还完成了2条高分辨率的浅层地震反射剖面.研究结果表明：郯庐断裂带合肥段是一个由多条主干断裂构成的复杂构造带,近地表速度结构表现为凹隆相间的构造特征,且沉积盖层厚度明显受到郯庐断裂带分支断裂的影响和控制.五河—合肥断裂在P波速度结构剖面表现为高速和低速区的分界,对断裂两侧的地层沉积具有重要的控制作用,该断裂向下错断了盆地基底,向上错断了埋深21~35 m的中更新统下部地层,其最新活动时代为中更新世早期.研究结果不仅为进一步认识五河—合肥断裂浅部构造形态提供了地震学依据,还可为该区断裂两侧的城镇规划和建设中避让活动断层提供基础资料.

     

STRUCTURE OF THE SOUTHWESTERN FRASER RIVER DELTA AS DETERMINED FROM GEOELECTRIC SOUNDING1

Geoelectrical sounding profiles were collected on the southern part of the Fraser River delta, to provide a geophysical estimate of the subsurface structure and geotechnical properties. The differences between emergent and intertidal areas were assessed, and the geoelectric technique was found to be a viable one in an intermittently exposed tidal-flat environment. The subsurface geoelectric structure provides a link between reflection seismic data sets for Georgia Strait and the lower mainland. The survey was intentionally designed to complement the conventional exploration information for this basin and the shallow high-resolution seismic and drilling which focused on the unconsolidated Quaternary section. The electrical models consist of three layers: (I) electrically-conductive, porous, saturated and under-saturated marine silts, sands and gravels, overlying (II) less conductive and more consolidated marine clays, and variably reworked glaciomarine deposits together with weathered clastic sedimentary bedrock, which in turn overlies (III) less porous, more resistive, relatively unweathered bedrock. Estimates of thickness and geotechnical properties are obtained for shallow layers which are not available from either the short boreholes or shallow high-resolution seismic lines. This information is particularly useful in appraising the liquefaction potential of the unconsolidated layers due to earthquake risk.     

Using refracted shear waves for velocity estimation

The most difficult part of multicomponent processing is the estimation of the shear-wave velocity map for migration. We used refracted shear waves and a simple iterative method called wavefield continuation (WFC) to evaluate the shallow shear-wave velocity profile on a real data example. The WFC was developed in 1981 by Clayton and McMechan to determine compressional-wave velocity profiles from refracted compressional waves. The application to refracted shear waves is straightforward. The real data example shows that shear structure can be easily determined independently of the compressional structure.