A laboratory study of teleseismic Pn waves

In this paper, the influences of mechanical properties of low velocity layers and thickness of high velocity layers in the lower lithosphere on the horizontal propagaties of seismic waves are discussed by means of altrasonic seismic model experiments; It is shown that the structure of the lower lithosphere consisting of soft low velocity layers and thin high velocity layers is favourable for the horizontal propagation of seismic energy, therefore, it is a very possible structure pattern of the lower lithosphere responsible for Pn and later high velocity arrivals observed in long range distances; Such pattern is also consistent with studies of rheological stratification of the lower lithosphere beneath mid-ocean-ridges and continental rifts. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,15, 97–102, 1993. The project is supported by the Chinese joint Seismological Science Foundation.     

T-phase Observations in Northern California: Acoustic to Seismic Coupling at a Weakly Elastic Boundary

—?Plans for a hydroacoustic network intended to monitor compliance with the CTBT call for the inclusion of five T-phase stations situated at optimal locations for the detection of seismic phases converted from ocean-borne T phases. We examine factors affecting the sensitivity of land-based stations to the seismic T phase. The acoustic to seismic coupling phenomenon is described by upslope propagation of an acoustic ray impinging at a sloping elastic wedge. We examine acoustic to seismic coupling characteristics for two cases; the first in which the shear velocity of the bottom is greater than the compressional velocity of the fluid (i.e., v _p > v _s > v _w ), the second is a weakly elastic solid in which v _s << v _w < v _p . The former is representative of velocities in solid rock, which might be encountered at volcanic islands; the latter is representative of marine sediments. For the case where v _s > v _w , we show that acoustic energy couples primarily to shear wave energy, except at very high slope angles. We show that the weakly elastic solid (i.e., v _s << v _w ) behaves nearly like a fluid bottom, with acoustic energy coupling to both P and S waves even at low slope angles.¶We examine converted T-wave arrivals at northern California seismic stations for two event clusters; one a series of earthquakes near the Hawaiian Islands, the other a series of nuclear tests conducted near the Tuamoto archipelago. Each cluster yielded characteristic arrivals at each station which were consistent from event to event within a cluster, but differed between clusters. The seismic T-phases consisted of both P- and S-wave arrivals, consistent with the conversion of acoustic to seismic energy at a gently sloping sediment-covered seafloor. In general, the amplitudes of the seismic T phases were highest for stations nearest the continental slope, where seafloor slopes are greatest, however noise levels decrease rapidly with increasing distance from the coastline, so that T-wave arrivals were observable at distances reaching several hundred kilometers from the coast. Signal-to-noise levels at the seismic stations are lower over the entire frequency spectrum than at the Pt. Sur hydrophone nearby, and decrease more rapidly with increasing frequency, particularly for stations furthest from the continental slope.     

Scattering ofP andS waves by a spherically symmetric inclusion

Scattering of an arbitrary elastic wave incident upon a spherically symmetric inclusion is considered and solutions are developed in terms of the spherical vector system of Petrashen, which produces results in terms of displacements rather than displacement potentials and in a form suitable for accurate numerical computations. Analytical expressions for canonical scattering coefficients are obtained for both the cases of incidentP waves and incidentS waves. Calculations of energy flux in the scattered waves lead to elastic optical theorems for bothP andS waves, which relate the scattering cross sections to the amplitude of the scattered fields in the forward direction. The properties of the solutions for a homogeneous elastic sphere, a sphere filled by fluid, and a spherical cavity are illustrated with scattering cross sections that demonstrate important differences between these types of obstacles. A general result is that the frequency dependence of the scattering is defined by the wavelength of the scattered wave rather than the wavelength of the incident wave. This is consistent with the finding that the intensity of thePS scattering is generally much stronger than theSP scattering. When averaged over all scattering angles, the mean intensity of thePS converted waves is2V _p ² /V _s ⁴ times the mean intensity of theSP converted waves, and this ratio is independent of frequency. The exact solutions reduce to simple and easily used expressions in the case of the low frequency (Rayleigh) approximation and the low contrast (Rayleigh-Born) approximation. The case of energy absorbing inclusions can also be obtained by assigning complex values to the elastic parameters, which leads to the result that an increase in attenuation within the inclusion causes an increased scattering cross section with a marked preference for scatteredS waves. The complete generality of the results is demonstrated by showing waves scattered by the earth's core in the time domain, an example of high-frequency scattering that reveals a very complex relationship between geometrical arrivals and diffracted waves.     

Synthetic Seismograms and Wide-angle Seismic Attributes from the Gaussian Beam and Reflectivity Methods for Models with Interfaces and Velocity Gradients

— The effects of interfaces and velocity gradients on wide-angle seismic attributes are investigated using synthetic seismograms. The seismic attributes considered include envelope amplitude, pulse instantaneous frequency, and arrival time of selected phases. For models with interfaces and homogeneous layers, head waves can propagate which have lower amplitudes, as well as frequency content, compared to the direct arrivals. For media with interfaces and velocity gradients, higher amplitude diving waves and interference waves can also occur. The Gaussian beam and reflectivity methods are used to compute synthetic seismograms for simple models with interfaces and gradients. From the results of these methods, seismic attributes are obtained and compared. It was found that both methods were able to simulate wide-angle seismic attributes for the simple models considered. The advantage of using the Gaussian beam method for seismic modeling and inversion is that it is fast and also asymptotically valid for laterally varying media.     

An attenuating structure beneath the Aso Caldera determined from the propagation of seismic waves

The attenuation of amplitude is seen in seismic waves which pass through the central region of the Aso caldera, in Kyushu, Japan. It is also recognized from spectral analysis of seismic waves that the higher frequencies of the P-wave are reduced in the waves which pass through the central region of the caldera. It is shown that the relative attenuation increases remarkably for the frequency range of 5 to 10 Hz. The specific attenuation factor Q of the P-wave train is about 100. From the surface projection of the ray paths with low Q values through the Aso caldera to each station, the attenuating region is located beneath the center of the caldera, extending to the north of the central cones. In conjunction with the low Q value of the P-wave and the decreases of S-wave amplitudes, the relative P-wave residual times have comparatively large values for seismic waves passing through the central region beneath the caldera. In order to attempt to provide additional information on the depth configuration of the attenuating material, the ray paths of P-wave's first arrivals are located in three-dimensional space. It indicates that the low-velocity material is located beneath the center of the caldera at depths of about 6 to 9 km. However, lowvelocity anomalies above the depth of 6 km and below the depth of 15 km were not able to be detected, because most of the available seismic ray paths had crossed the caldera at depths of about 6 to 15 km. Furthermore, the relative residual times have numerous errors resulting from incorrect hypocenter locations, origin times, inhomogeneities in the structure and uncertainty of the velocity structure. At shallow depths in the Aso caldera, refraction or reflection studies are required for an accurate estimate of the structure and more detailed properties of the attenuating material.     

Errors in time delay measurements

Summary Simple delay and sum of sensors in a seismic array is an effective method for noise suppression. However, unless we have precise steering delays, much of the signal energy is lost during the beam forming process too. We have investigated possible error sources in time delay measurements, using a computerized cross-correlation procedure. Parameters perturbed are correlation window length and positioning, signal frequency content and signal to noise ratio (SNR). Our results indicate that relative low frequency waves and using the very first part of theP-signals give the most reliable and stable time delay values. High frequency bandpass filtering improves SNR, but signal correlation and the precision in beam steering corrections decrease. Significant loss of high frequency energy during beamforming seems to be unavoidable.     

ON VERTICAL SEISMIC PROFILE PROCESSING*

From the wealth of information which can be deduced from VSP, the information most directly comparable to well logs is considered: P-wave and S-wave interval velocity, acoustic impedance, and the velocity ratio γ=V_s/V_p. This information not only allows better interpretation of surface seismic sections but also improves processing. For these results to be usable a number of precautions must be taken during acquisition and processing; the sampling in depth should be chosen in such a way that aliasing phenomena do not unnecessarily limit the spectra during the separation of upwards and downwards travelling waves. True amplitudes should be respected and checked by recording of signatures, and the interference of upwards and downwards travelling waves should be taken into account for the picking of first arrivals. The different steps in processing and the combination of results in the interpretation of surface seismic results are described with actual records.     

Fault proximity surveys in coal using guided seismic waves—Numerical modelling

Guided seismic waves are generated at lateral discontinuities in coal seams as an integral part of the mechanics of scattering downgoing body waves from a surface energy source.Numerical and laboratory model studies undertaken for both thin and thick coal seam waveguides show that small faults generate recognizable diffraction patterns by convertingP andS waves into channel wave arrivals at in-seam geophones on a walkawayVSP profile.These results suggest that in-seam geophones can be used during subsequent surface reflection surveys so as to improve mine profitability by optimising longwall layout in faulted ground.     

Filter formulation and wavefield separation of cross-well seismic data

Multichannel filtering to obtain wavefield separation has been used in seismic processing for decades and has become an essential component in VSP and cross-well reflection imaging. The need for good multichannel wavefield separation filters is acute in borehole seismic imaging techniques such as VSP and cross-well reflection imaging, where strong interfering arrivals such as tube waves, shear conversions, multiples, direct arrivals and guided waves can overlap temporally with desired arrivals. We investigate the effects of preprocessing (alignment and equalization) on the quality of cross-well reflection imaging wavefield separation and we show that the choice of the multichannel filter and filter parameters is critical to the wavefield separation of cross-well data (median filters, f–k pie-slice filters, eigenvector filters). We show that spatial aliasing creates situations where the application of purely spatial filters (median filters) will create notches in the frequency spectrum of the desired reflection arrival. Eigenvector filters allow us to work past the limits of aliasing, but these kinds of filter are strongly dependent on the ratio of undesired to desired signal amplitude. On the basis of these observations, we developed a new type of multichannel filter that combined the best characteristics of spatial filters and eigenvector filters. We call this filter a ‘constrained eigenvector filter’. We use two real data sets of cross-well seismic experiments with small and large well spacing to evaluate the effects of these factors on the quality of cross-well wavefield separation. We apply median filters, f–k pie-slice filters and constrained eigenvector filters in multiple domains available for these data sets (common-source, common-receiver, common-offset and common-midpoint gathers). We show that the results of applying the constrained eigenvector filter to the entire cross-well data set are superior to both the spatial and standard eigenvector filter results.     

High-frequency P- and S-wave Attenuation in the Earth

—Investigations of the spectral characteristics of teleseismic body waves revealed that the spectral falloff rate between 1 Hz and 10 Hz is primarily controlled by anelastic attenuation along the path. In addition, the amount of high-frequency energy in teleseismic body waves is far above the level expected on the basis of Q estimates at low frequencies, thus leading to the idea of frequency dependence in Q. Q variations in the earth’s mantle can be investigated by mapping out the variations of high frequency (4 - 10 Hz) energy relative to the low frequency (1 - 3 Hz) energy in teleseismic P waves, and similar ratios at lower frequencies in teleseismic S waves. Because of the extreme sensitivity of spectral content of short-period body waves to Q variations, large uncertainties in other factors affecting spectral content can be tolerated in such studies. With the increasing number and density of broadband seismic stations recording at high sampling rates, tomographic studies of Q at high frequencies become possible.     

REFRACTION LE LONG DES BANCS MINCES RAPIDES ET EFFET D'ECRAN POUR LES MARQUEURS PROFONDS *

Refraction along thin high velocity layers and along basement is investigated in two cases. a) high velocity layer just on the basement. b) high velocity layer higher above. Period and attenuation of refracted waves are givers as a function of the layer thickness H. Refracted arrivals along thin high velocity layers are visible at significant distances if the layer thickness is not smaller than A/6, where A is the longitudinal wavelength in high velocity medium. The pseudoperiod is proportional to the layer thickness H. The attenuation at large distance follows an x^-ne^-k1x law, where n is close to I and k₁ is inversely proportional to H. Refracted arrivals along the basement are observable even in the case of thin high velocity layers situated in the overburden; their intensity is smaller and their pseudo-period larger than when no layer exists in the overburden. The intensity of the basement arrival decreases and the pseudoperiod increases with increasing layer thickness. The pseudoperiod and the attenuation of refracted arrivals along high velocity layers and along the basement are also highly dependent on acoustic contrasts. Both arrivals from a high velocity layer and from the basement can be recorded simultaneously, provided the frequency spectrum of the seismic chain is sufficiently broad. In all cases layer arrivals show a character very different from basement arrivals.     

震源和水听器沉放深度对单道地震勘探的影响

为研究震源和水听器电缆沉放深度对单道地震勘探的影响,建立鬼波影响模型,采用雷克子波模拟震源子波,分析因震源及水听器电缆沉放深度产生的鬼波对一次有效反射地震波的影响,并采用不同震源和水听器电缆沉放深度的数据对本次研究结论进行验证。研究表明：地震剖面分辨率和震源及水听器电缆沉放的总深度呈反比;随着震源或水听器电缆沉放深度的增加,地震剖面的分辨率递减,接收地震波能量从低值递增到最大值,再从最大值缓慢降低到稳定值;当水听器电缆沉放深度小于168.8/f(m)时,接收地震波能量随震源沉放深度变化的波动相对平缓,水听器电缆沉放深度浅有利于地震波的一致性,但沉放深度过浅时接收地震波能量将被极大削弱,会明显降低地震波的有效穿透深度;当震源沉放深度约为292.3/f(m)时,一次有效反射波的峰值和震源鬼波的峰值重叠,接收地震波能量最大;当震源沉放深度大于584.6/f(m)时,不考虑地震波能量在水中衰减的情况下,震源沉放深度继续增加对接收地震波能量的增加无效。     

INVERSION METHOD IN THE SLANT STACK DOMAIN USING AMPLITUDES OF REFLECTION ARRIVALS*

Almost all ray-tracing methods ignore the analysis of the amplitudes of seismic arrivals and therefore utilize only half of the available information. We propose a method which is a combination of ray-tracing imaging and transformation of the amplitudes of wide-aperture data. Seismic data in the conventional X-T domain are first transformed to the domain of intercept time τ and ray parameter p to recover the plane wave response. The next step is the derivation of a series of plane wave reflection coefficients, which are mapped as a function of τ and p. The reflection coefficients R(τ, p) for two arbitrarily chosen traces can then be used in our inversion method to derive a slowness-depth and a density-depth profile. It is shown that the inclusion of amplitudes of seismic arrivals (in this method, we consider the acoustic case) makes the inverse method highly stable and accurate. In a horizontally stratified medium one can recover separate profiles of velocity and density. Since this method utilizes large-offset data, it can be used for separate recovery of velocity and density to a greater depth.     

Location of microearthquakes sources at passive seismic monitoring of hydraulic fracturing

The paper discusses microseismic monitoring during oil well stimulation by hydraulic fracturing, an emergent technology used for hydraulic fracturing layer control. The passive monitoring is a new widely developing technology of HFL control. The main factor affecting the results of passive seismic monitoring is the event location accuracy. The passive monitoring acquisition system utilizes one three components seismic probe deployed into the observation well. To evaluate the location accuracy of induced events for one observation well we applied traditional kinematic approach based on picking of earthquake P- and S-waves arrivals. The influence of geometric parameters of geophones location in a borehole, their quantity, picking errors of waves arrivals on the accuracy of microearthquakes location is studied.     

Wave separation for the great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake with regional seismic array

We analyzed the seismic waveforms from the December 26,2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake recorded at broadband seismic stations in western Europe.Previous studies involving of the beam-forming technique and high frequency analysis suggest that the earthquake ruptured with a duration of around 500 s.This very long duration makes P wave overlap with later arrivals such as PP wave,which follows P in about 200 s.Since P waves are crucial for modeling earthquake processes,we propose an iterative method to separate...     

PARAMETER ESTIMATION AND FAULT DETECTION BY THREE-COMPONENT SEISMIC AND GEOELECTRICAL SURVEYS IN A COAL MINE*

Three-component seismic and geoelectrical in-mine surveys were carried out in Lyukobanya colliery near Miskolc, Hungary to determine the in situ petrophysical parameter distributions and to detect inhomogeneities in the coal seam. The seismic measurements comprise an underground vertical seismic profile, using body waves, and an in-seam seismic amplitude-depth distribution and transmission survey, using channel waves. The geoelectrical measurements are based on the drift- and seam-sounding method. Interval traveltime-, amplitude-, multiple-filter- and polarization analysis methods are applied to the seismic data. They lead to a five-layer model for the strata including the coal seam. The coal seam and two underlying beds act as a seismic waveguide. The layer sequence supports the propagation of both normal and leaky mode channel waves of the Love- and Rayleigh type. A calculation of the total reflected energy for each interface using Knott's energy coefficients shows that the velocity ranges of high reflection energy and of normal and leaky mode wavegroups coincide. The excitation of wavegroups strongly depends on the seismic source. A simultaneous inversion of a geoelectrical drift- and seam-sounding survey prevents misinterpretations of the seismic data by clearly identifying the low-velocity coal seam as a high-resistivity bed. Calculations of dispersion and sounding curves improve the resolution of the slowness and resistivity in each layer. Both diminished amplitudes and distortions in the polarization of transmission seismo-grams and decreasing resistivities in a geoelectrical pseudosection of the coal seam are related to an inhomogeneity. A calculation of synthetic seismograms for Love and Rayleigh channel waves with the finite-difference and the Alekseev-Mikhailenko method agrees well with the field data for the main features, i.e., particular arrivals in the wave train, wavegroups, velocities and symmetries or asymmetries. This in-mine experiment demonstrates that the simultaneous acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic and geoelectrical data improve the lithological interpretation of petrophysical parameter distributions. Coal seam inhomogeneities can also be detected more reliably by the two independent surveys than by one alone.     

Phase behaviour of P-SV converted waves recorded at the sea-bed

Shear waves recorded at or near the sea-bed, i.e. a water–sediment interface, may suffer from unwanted phase change, which is detrimental to velocity analysis and processing and degrades the quality of the final stacked or migrated image. In this study, this phenomenon is analysed for P-SV converted waves recorded at the sea-bed. Theoretical analysis shows that phase change does not occur if the converted shear waves always maintain raypaths that lie within the critical angle, provided the subsurface layering is horizontal. A phase change that is asymmetric with offset can readily be explained as being due to dipping layers at targets or the dipping sea-bed. This analysis is extended to multiple layers and anisotropic media and shows that the same conclusions hold. The analysis performed on two sets of ocean-bottom-cable seismic data shows that the majority of observations show little evidence of phase change, and occasionally display the asymmetric phase change with offset. This finding underlines the robustness of converted shear waves for imaging the horizontal subsurfaces and sea-bed as all of the offset information may be used.     

SEISMIC REFRACTION AND SCREENING BY THIN HIGH-VELOCITY LAYERS *

The screening effect of thin, relatively shallow high-velocity layers often presents considerable problems in seismic exploration. Such layers prevent the greater part of the seismic energy from travelling to greater depths and introduce additional refraction arrivals, confusing the seismogram still further. In order to investigate both the screening and refractive properties of high-velocity layers, scale-model experiments have been made over a wide range of layer-thickness/ wavelength ratios (0.05 < d/λ < 2) for suitably chosen material contrasts. The results may be summarised as follows. Refraction arrivals from thin layers in the field may be recognised by their relatively rapid amplitude decay. Furthermore, the “echeloning”-effect observed for refraction first arrivals may be due to the presence of a (thin) layered structure. Since the apparent refraction velocity varies with d/λ when d/λ < 1, differences between vertical well-log velocities and velocities observed along the surface may be expected, making time/depth conversion using surface velocity data inaccurate. Transmission of elastic energy may be expected, if anywhere, only near the shotpoint, at small geophone offset, and for relatively thin screens (d/λ < 0.1). The transmitted signal shape is then independent of the layer thickness. This transmitted energy may be registered either in a reflection set-up with geophones near the shotpoint, or in long-distance refraction work. Three possibilities are offered for overcoming the screening effect of thin high-velocity layers: Use longer-wavelength signals Apply short-spread reflection shooting Apply long-distance refraction shooting The experimental results obtained in scale-model arrangements of such set-ups confirm the potentialities of these methods.     

A Seismic Model of Casing Failure in Oil Fields

—We develop a seismic model that characterises the sudden tensional failure of oil-well casings. The energy released by the rupture of a well casing is transformed into heat and seismic energy. The upper bound of the seismic efficiency of this process is estimated at about 3%. The static situation at the completion of a casing failure episode is modelled by calculating the static displacement field generated by two opposing forces separated by an arm. The azimuthal patterns of these displacements and the change in the strain and stress fields caused by the force couple are described. The dynamics of the failure episode are modelled as a dipole with a seismic moment equivalent to the product of the average drop in shear stress, the failure surface, and an arm. The radiated P and S waves have mean-square radiation pattern coefficients of 1/5 for P waves and 2/15 for S waves. The displacement field as a function of time during rupture and the spectral properties in the far field are derived. The most promising seismic parameters that can be used for distinguishing between casing failure events and other possible events are polarisation properties of S waves and S/P amplitude ratios. S-wave polarisation distinguishes between shear events and casing failure events. S/P amplitude ratios distin guish between tensile events and casing failure events.