A comparison between airguns and explosives as wide-angle seismic sources

The relative merits of a 48-gun, 9324 cu. in. (153 litre) airgun array and a 200 kg explosive source are considered for the purposes of long-range (0–400 km) refraction seismic work, with particular reference to traveltime modelling. Theoretical source calculations indicate that in the frequency range 2.5–12.0 Hz, the airgun source will produce an RMS pressure ∼ 8% of that produced by the explosive source and an initial burst pressure ∼17% of that produced by the explosive source. Observed data support these calculations at short ranges and illustrate the greater attenuation of the airgun signal with range due to its lack of very low frequency (< 5 Hz) content. At short offsets, the airgun array provides a preferable seismic source to the explosives, due to densely spaced shots and a consistent waveform resulting in excellent trace-to-trace coherence. With increasing offsets, it may be necessary to stack the airgun data to enhance its signal-to-noise ratio: here we use a 4-fold stack. Large explosive shots, although more powerful, produce a less consistent waveform and are more widely spaced due to operational constraints. The offset at which airguns provide a preferable source is dependent on the ambient noise. This practical comparison of real sources demonstrates that, even without advanced processing, a well-tuned airgun array may provide a preferable source to explosives at offsets up to 160 km, under favourable experimental conditions.     

POSSIBILITIES OF USING VERTICAL GEOPHONE ARRAYS (CVA) IN REFLECTION SEISMOLOGY*

Vertical geophone arrays in boreholes have been used for many years to study seismic velocities by investigating the first arrivals of records. The development of the vertical seismic profiling (VSP) technique shows possibilities of using the reflected events to close the gap between interpretation of conventional seismic data and physical observations made in the well. Reflected events recorded by vertical arrays (as in VSP) generally have higher signal-to-noise ratio, larger bandwidth and can easily be separated from multiples. The new Continuous Vertical Array (CVA) technique combines vertical arrays in several boreholes with a line of source points near the surface. The result is a multi-covered seismic line similar to that of a conventional seismic survey, but it retains the benefits of observations with vertical arrays. The possibilities of the new technique are discussed with the aid of theoretical considerations, model studies, and a first field case using nine boreholes 500 m apart with depths of 400 m. New data acquisition and processing techniques (mainly migration before stack) have been developed. The CVA-seismic method is still in the development stage but promises new possibilities for detailed surveys in difficult areas.     

海上多次波的联合衰减法

地震勘探尤其是海上地震勘探中存在着各类多次波,由于多次波的存在严重影响了速度分析、叠加、偏移成像等地震资料处理,海上多次波主要有全程多次波和层间多次两大类,为了压制海上不同类型的多次波,本文首先分析波场外推、预测反褶积和拉东变换衰减不同多次波的理论基础,然后联合采用这些方法,分别衰减全程多次波和层间多次波;即：首先对炮记录或者接收点记录进行波场外推,建立海底多次波模型,预测并减去全程多次波,然后利用预测反褶积衰减掉周期性明显的多次波,最后将数据转换到τ-p域,用拉冬变换根据同一时间多次波和有效波在速度等方面的差异,进一步分离层间多次波和剩余的全程多次波,并在该域中切除分离出的多次波,从而实现联合多次波衰减处理.通过对悉尼海区和里海等实际地震资料的处理证明,文提出的联合多次波衰减方法在海洋地震资料的处理中有着广泛的应用,联合衰减多次波处理流程具有快速、简洁、易于实现的特点,经处理后的地震资料有效信号损失小、保福性好的特点,有利于速度分析、叠加、叠前偏移等的后续处理工作.     

接收台阵、震源阵的传递函数与双聚束法的初步研究

根据汶川地震序列,选出距离合适、波形相关性较好的事件作为震源阵,联合永久台阵(那曲、和田台阵),进行震源阵与固定台阵组合研究,计算其台阵响应.结果表明,地震序列可以形成震源阵,按照地震台阵的特殊方法进行研究,可以提高信噪比,为揭示地下精细结构提供条件.     

Using an airgun array in a land reservoir as the seismic source for seismotectonic studies in northern China: experiments and preliminary results

This paper reports the field setup and preliminary results of experiments utilizing an airgun array in a reservoir in north China for a seismotectonic study. Commonly used in offshore petroleum resource exploration, the airgun source was found to be more useful than a traditional explosive source for large‐scale and long offset land seismic surveys. The airgun array, formed by four 1,500 in³ airguns (a total of 6,000 in³ in volume) was placed at a depth of 6–9 m into the reservoir to generate the pressure impulse. No direct evidence was found that the airgun source adversely affected the fish in the reservoir. The peak ground acceleration recorded on the top of the reservoir dam 100 m away was 17.8 gal in the horizontal direction; this is much less than the designed earthquake‐resistance threshold of 125 gal for this dam. The energy for one shot of this airgun array is about 6.68 MJ, equivalent to firing a 1.7 kg explosive. The seismic waves generated by the airgun source were recorded by receivers of the regional seismic networks and a temporary wide‐angle reflection and refraction profile formed by 100 short‐period seismometers with the maximum source‐receiver offset of 206 km. The seismic wave signature at these long‐offset stations is equivalent to that generated by a traditional blast source in a borehole with a 1,000–2,000 kg explosive. Preliminary results showed clear seismic phases from refractions from the multi‐layer crustal structures in the north China region. Forward modelling using numerical simulation confirms that the seismic arrivals are indeed from lower crustal interfaces. The airgun source is efficient, economical, environmentally friendly and suitable for being used in urbanized areas. It has many advantages over an explosive source for seismotectonic studies such as the high repeatability that is supreme for stacking to improve signal qualities. The disadvantage is that the source is limited to existing lakes or reservoirs, which may restrict experimental geometry.     

Influencing factors of seismic signals generated by un-tuned large volume airgun array in a land reservoir

Un-tuned large volume airgun array in a water reservoir is recently proposed as a new way to generate seismic waves on land. It can be used to explore the earth velocity structure and its temporal variations as well. However, the characteristics of seismic signals (especially far-field signals) from an airgun array in a reservoir and its affecting factors (firing pressure, airgun towing depth, water level of the reservoir, etc.) has not been adequately studied. We analyzed the seismic data collected from field experiments at Binchuan Transmitting Seismic Station in 2011 and 2013 and found that (1) The similarity of seismic signals decrease with distance, which is most likely induced by the decay of signal amplitude and signal to noise ratio (SNR); (2) The amplitudes of far-field airgun signals are almost linearly proportional to the firing pressure; (3) The towing depth of airgun has less effects on the far-field signals; (4) The amplitudes of far-field airgun signals are proportional to the water level of the reservoir.     

TEST RESULTS OF A NEW TYPE OF EFFICIENT SMALL AIRGUN ARRAY*

Recently the author developed and demonstrated (Safar 1980) an efficient method for operating the airgun. The method involves the generation of a short seismic pulse from the pressure bubble pulses radiated by an airgun when fired several times at the same optimum depth but with different chamber pressures. The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the test results obtained when implementing the same method using a two-dimensional airgun array. The array consists of seven 0.65 liter airguns fired simultaneously at the same depth but with different chamber pressures. It is shown that the far-field pressure pulse radiated by the seven 0.65 liter airgun array is similar to that radiated by the Flexichoc seismic source. It is concluded that the proposed airgun array can be used as a subarray to form an extremely powerful super-long array suitable for deep seismic exploration. The author would like to thank the Chairman and Board of Directors of the British Petroleum Co. Ltd for permission to publish this paper. Thanks are also due to Mike Symes and Lovell Cox for carrying out the field tests and Seismograph Service (England) Ltd for providing the airguns.     

ACOUSTIC MODELING OF THE SEAFLOOR*

Data from routine seismic surveys contain considerable information about the geo-acoustic properties of the seafloor. Waves are reflected at a wide range of angles of incidence from near-vertical reflections (higher multiples) to supercritical reflections (primary and lower multiples). The reflection coefficient is approximately constant for small angles of incidence (< 10°) but varies greatly for larger angles of incidence. Near-vertical reflections are used to determine the seafloor density. The P-velocity in the seafloor is determined in advance from the critical distance using the amplitude variation of the primary as well as the multiples. The V_p/V_S ratio is determined by modeling the amplitude variation with the angle of incidence. The primary reflection from the seafloor and the first three multiples are included in the modeling. Seismic data obtained with both conventional and superlong airgun arrays have been modeled. Data collected from the Barents Sea show that even if the P-velocity is the same at different sites, the V_p/V_s ratio, density and Poisson's ratio vary significantly. The most extreme example shows that for a P-velocity of 2.80 km/s the V_p/V_s ratio varies between 1.9 and 6.0. The corresponding densities vary from 2.36 g/cm³ to 1.80 g/cm³ and the Poisson's ratio varies from 0.31 to 0.49. The acoustic modeling offers a method of assessing the mean geotechnical or mechanical properties of larger volumes of marine sediments in terms of incompressibility, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio.     

气枪震源资料反褶积方法及处理流程研究

气枪震源具有极高的可重复性,可用于地下介质变化的监测。但不同工作条件下气枪震源产生的信号会存在细微差异,反褶积方法能在一定程度上消除由震源变化引起的记录信号变化。为了去除气枪震源子波信号,获取气枪源到台站之间的格林函数,通常需要选取一种恰当的方法对地震波形数据进行反褶积处理。频率域水准反褶积和时间域迭代反褶积是在接收函数等领域已被广泛使用的2种反褶积方法。本文以云南宾川主动源资料为例,对比了利用这2种方法处理气枪震源资料的效果,结果表明：在计算效率方面,频率域水准反褶积方法更具优势;在处理结果的信噪比方面,时间域迭代反褶积方法表现更好,P波初至也更清晰。此外,进一步讨论了在多炮资料的处理过程中反褶积和叠加等操作的顺序问题,最后提出了从气枪震源资料中提取气枪源到台站之间的格林函数的一般流程。     

Improving Airgun Signal Detection with Small-Aperture Seismic Array in Yunnan

Repeating airgun sources are eco-friendly sources for monitoring the changes in the physical properties of subsurface mediums, but their signals decay quickly and are buried in the noises soon after traveling short distances. Stacking waveforms from different airgun shots recorded by a single seismic station (shot stacking) is the most popular technique to detect weak signals from noisy backgrounds, and has been widely used to process the data of Fixed Airgun Signal Transmission Stations (FASTS) in China. However, shot stacking sacrifices the time resolution in monitoring to recover a qualified airgun signal by stacking many shots at distance stations, and also suffers from persistent local noises. In this paper, we carried out several small-aperture seismic array experiments around the Binchuan FAST Station (BCFASTS) in Yunnan Province,China, and applied the array technique to improve airgun signal detection. The results show that seismic array processing combining with shot stacking can suppress seismic noises more efficiently, and provide better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and coherent airgun signals with less airgun shots. This work suggests that the array technique is a feasible and promising tool in FAST to increase the time resolution and reduce noise interference on routine monitoring.     

An Experimental Study on Modulating the Large Volume Airgun Array Signals through Asynchronous Excitation

Large volume airgun arrays have been widely used in exploring and monitoring underground structures for nearly a decade. Nowadays, large volume airgun arrays adopt the synchronous excitation mode, and source characteristics are controlled by the source signal of a single airgun, which to some extent limits its application. In order to realize the asynchronous excitation of the airgun array, we developed a new firing system for the airgun array, and carried out a field experiment in the Binchuan Fixed Airgun Signal Transmission station to study the influences of the asynchronous excitation on the source signal. The experimental results show that:the newly developed airgun array firing system can ignite the airguns according to the setting time series with high precision. By designing the excitation time series, the asynchronous excitation can enhance the energy of airgun source signal at 3-5Hz, and reduce the energy of pressure pulse wave at 6-18Hz. The signal detection capability of the asynchronous excitation with time series mode is equivalent to the synchronous excitation.     

COMPUTATION OF SIGNATURES OF LINEAR AIRGUN ARRAYS*

Far-field signatures from an airgun array are usually obtained by carrying out extensive field measurements. In order to decrease the need for such measurements, we have developed a method for computing signatures from linear airgun arrays where the distances between the airguns are such that the non-linear interaction among the airguns is negligible. The signature from a single airgun of a given type is computed from the following airgun parameters: airgun chamber volume, chamber pressure, airgun depth and position of the waveshape plate within the chamber. For calibration purposes, a recorded signature for one set of airgun parameters has to be provided for each type of airgun. The signatures are computed by using empirical relations between signature properties and the airgun parameters, and by treating the primary and bubble pulses separately. The far-field signature from a linear airgun array can now be computed by summation of the delayed signatures from the airguns in the array. Practical results are shown for an array with different PAR (Bolt) 1500 C airguns.     

哈萨克斯坦地震台阵

在哈萨克斯坦的5个现代化数字地震台阵中,4个小孔径同心圆结构的IMS简约型台阵建设、维护方便,全方位监测能力强,1个十字型结构中等孔径台阵,因对特定方位敏感,对更远距离已知核试验点监测能力更强。台阵观测场地均处于完整稳定的构造块体,内部岩石迁移性良好,噪声水平低,保证了对远处微弱地震信号的监测及各子台信号的相似性。地震检波器良好的性能,保证了台阵的地震信号记录质量和数据研究基础。采用卫星传输方式,有效保证了数据的实时性。哈萨克斯坦的地震台阵,其选址、布局、仪器、数据传输等台阵建设,为中国地震台阵发展建设提供了经验借鉴。     

基于南黄海海相油气勘探的地震采集技术研究

南黄海盆地中部隆起区前第三系油气储层主要为中一古生代海相碳酸盐岩地层,厚度大、分布广,具有良好的油气前景.由于厚度小于1000 m的新近系低速地层直接覆盖在高速碳酸盐岩地层之上,对地震波的向下传播起到了强烈的屏蔽作用,使之深部目的层地震资料品质差,影响了油气勘探的进程.根据区域地质、地球物理特征,进行了基于AV0(Am...     

PRESTACK INVERSION OF GROUP-FILTERED SEISMIC DATA1

Three methods for least-squares inversion of receiver array-filtered seismic data are investigated: (1) point receiver inversion where array effects are neglected; (2) preprocessing of the data with an inverse array filter, followed by point receiver inversion; (3) array inversion, where the array effects are included in the forward modelling. The methods are tested on synthetic data generated using the acoustic wave equation and a horizontally stratified earth model. It is assumed that the group length and the group interval are identical. For arrays that are shorter than the minimum wavelength of the emitted wavefield, and when the data are appropriately muted, point receiver inversion (first method) gives satisfactory results. For longer arrays, array inversion (third method) should be used. The failure of the inverse array filter (second method) is due to aliasing problems in the data.     

SIGNATURE AND AMPLITUDE OF LINEAR AIRGUN ARRAYS *

During the last few years many airgun arrays have been designed with the objective of generating a short signature of high amplitude. For linear arrays of non-interacting airguns two rules have been derived that may help in the design or evaluation of airgun arrays. To achieve a short pressure pulse, the total available air volume has to be distributed over the individual guns in such a way that the tail of the signal, owing to the added bubble signals, becomes as flat as possible. When we think of ordering airguns according to volume, this flat signal tail can be achieved by designing the volumes such that the difference in bubble times of two adjacent guns is proportional to their volume to the power 2/3. The amplitude expected from a linear array of non-interacting airguns is limited by the physical length of the array. A graph of measured values tends to confirm this relation. No relation has been found between the total volume of an array and its amplitude. The graph also detects inefficient use of available array length of existing arrays.     

The impact of field-survey characteristics on surface-relatedmultiple attenuation

Field‐survey characteristics can have an important impact on the quality of multiples predicted by surface‐related multiple elimination (SRME) algorithms. This paperexamines the effects of three particular characteristics: in‐line spatial sampling, source stability, and cable feathering. Inadequate spatial sampling causes aliasing artefacts. These can be reduced by f–k filtering at the expense of limiting the bandwidth in the predicted multiples. Source‐signature variations create artefacts in predicted multiples due to spatial discontinuities. Variations from a well‐behaved airgun array produced artefacts having an rms amplitude about 26 dB below the rms amplitude of multiples predicted with no variations. Cable feathering has a large impact on the timingerrors in multiples predicted by 2D SRME when it is applied in areas having cross dip. All these problems can be reduced by a combination of better survey design, use of advanced data‐acquisition technologies, and additional data‐processing steps.     

Slowness Corrections — One Way to Improve IDC Products

—?The first step to identify and locate a seismic event is the association of observed onsets with common seismic sources. This is especially important in the context of monitoring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) at the International Data Center (IDC) being developed in Vienna, Austria. Well-defined slowness measurements are very useful for associating seismic phases to presumed seismic events.¶Shortly after installation of the first seismic arrays, systematic discrepancies between measured and theoretically predicted slowness values were observed, and therefore slowness measurements of seismic stations should be calibrated. The observed slownesses measured with small aperture arrays, some of which will be included in the International Monitoring System (IMS) now being implemented for verifying compliance with the CTBT, show large scatter and deviations from theoretically expected values. However, in this study a method is presented, by which mean slowness corrections can be derived, which show relatively stable patterns specific to each array.¶The correction of measured slowness values of these arrays clearly improved the single array location capabilities. Applying slowness corrections with seismic phases observed by ARCES, FINES, GERES, and NORES, and associated to seismic events in the bulletins of the prototype International Data Center (pIDC) in Arlington, VA, also clearly demonstrates the advantages of these corrections. For arrays with large slowness deviations that are due to the influence of a dipping layer, the corrections were modeled with a sine function depending on the measured azimuth. In addition, the measured values can be weighted with the corresponding uncertainties known from the process of deriving the mean corrections.     

The Finnish seismic array

This paper deals with the Finnish seismic array, which in its present state consists of two tripartite arrays, HESA and JYSA. The first of these arrays, situated near Helsinki, has been in continuous operation since 1964 and uses analog recording by frequency-modulated telemetry. The JYSA array is sited in central Finland near the town of Jyväskylä. This array consists of three substations equipped with vertical-component SP seismometers. The signals are transmitted by digital FM telemetry in the UHF band and recorded at Helsinki on magnetic tape. Events are detected visually from monitoring drums. The digital data of the events detected are handled by a microprocessor with a graphic display and fed to a Burroughs 6700 analysing computer.Comparison with the NORSAR array indicates that at frequencies below 2 Hz the absolute noise level at JYSA is about 6 dB lower, but above 2 Hz the noise level for single instruments at the two arrays is about the same. As regards detection capability, the incremental threshold is about the same for JYSA as for Hagfors and 0.5 magnitude units higher than for NORSAR, but 0.5 magnitude units lower for JYSA than for the WWSSN station NUR in southern Finland.     

Scattering diagrams in seismic imaging: More insights into the construction of virtual events and internal multiples

The key processes in marine seismic imaging include (i) removing from seismic data all seismic events (free-surface multiples and ghosts) which contain at least one reflection at the sea surface in their wave-propagation path, and leaving those with no reflection at the free surface (internal multiples and primaries), (ii) removing events with at least two reflections in the subsurface (internal multiples), and leaving events with only one reflection in the subsurface (primaries), and then (iii) locating the scattering points and reflectors inside the subsurface which are the sources of primaries and internal multiple events. All these processes are here explained, derived, and optimized via scattering diagrams (diagrammatica) in a way similar to the way the quantum field theory is often explained via Feynman diagrams. Our discussion of the removal of events with free-surface reflections from the data will be brief, as the diagrammatica of these events are now well understood.The main focus of this paper is the diagrammatica of internal multiples and primaries. Although these events do not contain any reflection at the sea surface, it is important to reconstruct them with scattering points near the sea surface, where seismic data are recorded. So our diagrammatica of primaries and internal multiples include events which are not directly recorded in seismic data but which can be constructed from seismic data. These events have allowed us to construct scattering diagrams of primaries and internal multiples with scattering points near the sea surface. Furthermore, these new diagrammatica of internal multiples and primaries can be used to remove internal multiples from the data.