Relationship between Shot-Induced Noise and Shot Interval in Seismic Refraction Experiments at Sea

Seismic noise induced by the seismic source during continuous profiling reduces the signal-to-noise ratio and hence the data quality. This noise is largely dependent on the shot interval. In this paper, the noise amplitude of refraction seismic records from a special experiment is analysed as a function of the shot interval. An empirical exponential relationship between mean peak noise amplitude and shot interval is deduced. By increasing the shot interval, the induced noise can be minimized on all successive records. This results in an improvement of the data, predominantly the signal-to-noise ratio. Because the seismic signal and the shot-induced noise have nearly the same spectra, the chance of improving the signal-to-noise ratio by stacking is significantly reduced.     

Dereverberation of marine reflection seismic data by a spatial combination of predictive deconvolution and velocity filtering

Contamination of seismic reflection records at early times by first-order water reverberations can be especially severe during survey operations over hard and flat sea floors on the continental shelf or in lake environments. A new dereverberation scheme based on two classical techniques — predictive deconvolution and velocity filtering — has been developed to address this problem. The techniques are combined spatially to take advantage of their complementary offset- and time-dependent properties. Stage I of the scheme consists of applying predictive deconvolution at short offset. The data are previously conditioned by a normal moveout correction with the water velocity which restores the periodicity of the reverberations in the offset-time plane and enhances the performance of deconvolution. Stage II of the scheme involves velocity filtering in the common-midpoint domain which is particularly effective at long offset where the moveout difference between primary reflections and reverberations is largest. The dereverberation scheme is well suited for the initial processing of large volumes of data due to the general availability of cost-effective deconvolution and velocity filtering algorithms in seismic processing software packages. Practical implementation issues are illustrated by a field example from the GLIMPCE survey in Lake Superior.Lithoprobe Publication No. 475.     

Theory and Practice of Soft Clay Engineering

-The shear strength and deformation properties of soft clay are discussed first. Then some methods for predicting the performance of soft clay foundation are proposed. Finally, case histories are presented to illustrate some discussed aspects of soft clay.     

Design of a 3D Chirp Sub-bottom Imaging System

Chirp sub-bottom profilers are marine acoustic devices that use a known and repeatable source signature (1–24 kHz) to produce decimetre vertical resolution cross-sections of the sub-seabed. Here the design and development of the first true 3D Chirp system is described. When developing the design, critical factors that had to be considered included spatial aliasing, and precise positioning of sources and receivers. Full 3D numerical modelling of the combined source and receiver directivity was completed to determine optimal source and receiver geometries. The design incorporates four source transducers (1.5–13 kHz) that can be arranged into different configurations, including Maltese Cross, a square and two separated pairs. The receive array comprises 240 hydrophones in 60 groups whose group-centres are separated by 25 cm in both horizontal directions, with each hydrophone group containing four individual elements and a pre-amplifier. After careful consideration, it was concluded that the only way to determine with sufficient accuracy the source–receiver geometry, was to fix the sources and receivers within a rigid array. Positional information for the array is given by a Real Time Kinematic GPS and attitude system incorporating four antennas to give position, heading, pitch and roll. It is shown that this system offers vertical positioning accuracy with a root-mean-square (rms) error less than 2.6 cm, while the horizontal positioning rms error was less than 2.0 cm. The system is configured so that the Chirp source signature can be chosen by software aboard the acquisition vessel. The complete system is described and initial navigational and seismic data results are presented. These data demonstrate that the approach of using fixed source-receiver geometry combined with RTK navigation can provide complete 3D imaging of the sub-surface.     

An overview of the Oyashio ecosystem

The Oyashio shelf region and the seasonally ice-covered areas north of Hokkaido are highly productive, supporting a wide range of species including marine mammals, seabirds and commercially important species in the western subarctic Pacific. The fishes include gadids, such as walleye pollock and Pacific cod, and subarctic migratory pelagic fishes such as chum salmon and pink salmon. It is also an important summer feeding ground for subtropical migrants such as the Japanese sardine, Japanese anchovy, Pacific saury, mackerels, Japanese common squid, whales and seabirds. In recent decades, some components of the Oyashio ecosystem (i.e., phytoplankton, mesozooplankton, gadid fish, and subtropical migrants) have shown changes in species abundance or distribution that are correlated with environmental changes such as the 1976/1977 and 1988/1989 regime shifts. The First Oyashio Intrusion moved northward from the mid-1960s until the late 1970s, when it moved southward until the 1980s, after which it returned to the north again after the mid-1990s. The sea-surface temperature in spring decreased after the late 1970s, increased after the late 1980s, and remained high during the 1990s. The extent of ice cover in the Sea of Okhostk also decreased during the latest warming in the 1980–1990s but has increased again since the late 1990s. This and other variabilities affect the Oyashio ecosystem and the surrounding region.     

海洋天然气水合物的地震识别方法研究

天然气水合物作为21世纪新的自然能源将为人类的生存发展服务。20世纪60年代证实，俄罗斯西伯利亚的麦索亚哈气田为典型的天然气水合物形成的气田，70年代又在海底发现了固体天然气水合物岩样。1971年，RStoll首先将地震剖面中的似海底反向层解释为海洋天然气水合物存在的标志，后来被深海钻探证实，从此地震方法成为大面积研究天然气水合物的重要手段。天然气水合物既是潜在能源，也是影响环境和形成灾害的因素之一，因此，研究天然气水合物是人类在21世纪的重要课题。探讨海洋天然气水合物的地震识别方法，由于这项工作刚刚起步，还没有做出具体的成果，在此只能根据我们仅有的工作和参照国外分开的出版物，以及出国访问得到的有关资料进行分析，提出我们的一些基本设想，与各位专家探讨。     

广东红海湾、珠江口及电白—阳江近海第四纪沉积

根据物探和钻探资料，研究区内第四纪沉积物可分为两部分，下部地震反射结构复杂，斜层理发育，粒度较粗，为晚更新世产物；上部的地震反射结构简单，呈水平状或近水平状结构，粒度较细，为全新世沉积。     

Southern Segment of the European Geotraverse — a wide-angle seismic refraction experiment in the Sardinia Channel

The Sardinia Channel dataset was collected as part of the European Geotraverse (EGT)—a 4000 km seismic refraction line running from Northern Norway to the Sahara, designed to investigate the structure of the lithosphere beneath Europe. Wideangle seismic data recorded by ocean bottom seismometers deployed in the Sardinia Channel as part of the Southern Segment of the EGT, together with gravity data, were used to constrain the final crustal model. In the centre of the Channel the crust is identified as thinned continental in nature, with a crystalline thickness of 10 km overlain by 4 km of sediments and 2.5 km of water in the most extended region. High velocities in the lower crust in the central region are thought to represent an area of underplating or intrusion by igneous material caused by extension related to the opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The crust overlies an anomalously low velocity upper mantle.     

A technique for conducting seismic refraction experiments on the ocean bed using bottom shots

A technique has been devised for firing arrays of bottom shots on the ocean bed in depths upto 4000 m or more. Ten kilogram explosive charges are dropped from the surface while the shooting ship is navigated acoustically. They are detonated at preset times by an electronic timer which initiates an electrical detonator, detonating cord and cast PETN/TNT explosive. Ranges to ocean bottom seismographs, and the shot instants, can be calculated from the arrival-time differences of the direct and surface-reflected water waves. The accuracy, which is dependent on water-depth and range, was better than 22 m in range and 14 msec in shot instant for our experiments.     

冲绳海槽天然气水合物BSR的地震研究

根据多道地震反射资料分析,在冲绳海槽南部和中部发现了拟海底反射层(BSR)现象。通过对海底异常反射层的振幅特征、速度异常和AVO属性分析,说明该BSR可能反映了天然气水合物的存在,并发现冲绳海槽断层与天然气水合物的形成有密切关系。