High-accuracy determination of a microseismic (MS) location is the core task in MS monitoring. In this study, a 3D multi-scale grid Green’s function database, depending on recording wavefield frequency band for the target mining area, is pre-generated based on the reciprocity theorem and 3D spectral element method (SEM). Then, a multi-scale global grid search strategy is performed based on this pre-stored Green’s function database, which can be effectively and hierarchically processed by searching for the spatial location. Numerical wavefield modeling by SEM effectively overcomes difficulties in traditional and simplified ray tracing modeling, such as difficult wavefield amplitude and multi-path modeling in 3D focusing and defusing velocity regions. In addition, as a key step for broadband waveform simulation, the source-time function estimated from a new data-driven singular value decomposition averaged fractional derivative based wavelet function (DD-SVD-FD wavelet) was proposed to generate high-precision synthetic waveforms for better fitting observed broadband waveform than those by simple and traditional source-time function. Combining these sophisticated processing procedures, a new robust grid search and waveform inversion-based location (GSWI location) approach is integrated. In the synthetic test, we discuss and demonstrate the importance of 3D velocity model accuracy to waveform inversion-based location results for a practical MS monitoring configuration. Furthermore, the average location error of the 3D GSWI location for eight real blasting events is only 15.0 m, which is smaller than error from 3D ray tracing-based location (26.2 m) under the same velocity model. These synthetic and field application investigations prove the crucial role of 3D velocity model, finite-frequency travel-time sensitivity kernel characteristics and accurate numerical 3D broadband wavefield modeling for successful MS location in a strong heterogeneous velocity model that are induced by the presence of ore body, host rocks, complex tunnels, and large excavations.
Microseismic source location using a 3D velocity model: From the ray tracing method to waveform inversion
