Multidisciplinary study of the hanging wall of the Kiirunavaara iron ore deposit, northern Sweden

Geophysics ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. B269-B285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mai-Britt Jensen ◽  
Artem Kashubin ◽  
Christopher Juhlin ◽  
Sten-Åke Elming
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Hanging Wall ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Contact Zones ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Reflection Seismic ◽  
Imaging Results ◽  
Fracture Development ◽  
Weakness Zones ◽  
The Town

Potential weakness zones due to mining-related fracture development under the town of Kiruna, Sweden, have been investigated by integration of seismic, gravity, and petrophysical data. Reflection seismic data were acquired along two subparallel 2D profiles within the residential area of the town. The profiles of [Formula: see text], each oriented approximately east–west, nearly perpendicular to the general strike of the local geology, crossed several contact zones between quartz-bearing porphyries, a sequence of interchanging sedimentary rocks (siltstone, sandstone, conglomerate, and agglomerate), and metabasalt. The resulting reflection seismic sections revealed a strong east-dipping reflectivity that is imaged down to approximately 1.5 km. The location and orientation of major features agree well between the profiles and with the surface geology and known contact zones between the different rock types. Our imaging results, supported by traveltime modelling, indicate that the contact zones dip 40°–50° to the east. The deepest and the weakest reflections are associated with a [Formula: see text] dipping structure that is presumably related to the Kiirunavaara iron mineralization. Tomographic inversion of refracted arrivals revealed a more detailed image of the velocity distribution in the upper 100–200 m along the profiles, enabling us to identify near-surface low velocity zones. These could be possible weakness zones developed along the lithological contacts and within the geologic units. The structural image obtained from the seismic data was used to constrain data inversion along a 28 km long east–northeast to west–southwest-oriented gravity profile. The resulting density model indicates that the quartz-bearing porphyry in the hanging wall of the Kiirunavaara mineralization can be separated into two blocks oriented parallel to the ore body. One block has an unexpected low density, which could be an indication of extensive fracturing and deformation.

RELATION OF SEISMIC CORRECTIONS TO SURFACE GEOLOGY

Geophysics ◽  
1952 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Thralls ◽  
R. W. Mossman
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Reference Plane ◽  
Illinois Basin ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Low Velocity Layer ◽  
Surface Geology ◽  
Velocity Layer ◽  
Layer Problem

The arbitrary application of any set type of near‐surface corrections to seismic data can lead to erroneous results. The determination of the type of correction to be used must be based, in part, on the type of formations present in the near‐surface. Case studies are offered to illustrate conditions arising in areas of youthful and mature topography. Specifically, they deal with a complex low velocity layer problem in a river valley, a pre‐glacial topography in the Illinois Basin, a problem arising in a mature topography in Kansas, and a youthful topography in central Wyoming. In such cases, the use of a “floating” elevation reference plane is advocated for the “Correction Zone” lying immediately below the surface.

Imaging of reflection seismic energy for mapping shallow fracture zones in crystalline rocks

Geophysics ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 753-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Kim ◽  
Wooil M. Moon ◽  
Ganpat Lodha ◽  
Mulu Serzu ◽  
Nash Soonawala
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Incidence Angle ◽  
Seismic Energy ◽  
Crystalline Rock ◽  
Crystalline Rocks ◽  
Fracture Zones ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Amplitude Noise ◽  
Reflection Seismic

The high‐resolution reflection seismic technique is being used increasingly to address geologic exploration and engineering problems. There are, however, a number of problems in applying reflection seismic techniques in a crystalline rock environment. The reflection seismic data collected over a fractured crystalline rock environment are often characterized by low signal‐to‐noise ratios (S/N) and inconsistent reflection events. Thus it is important to develop data processing strategies and correlation schemes for the imaging of fracture zones in crystalline rocks. Two sets of very low S/N, high‐resolution seismic data, previously collected by two different contractors in Pinawa, Canada, and the island of Äspö, Sweden, were reprocessed and analyzed, with special emphasis on the shallow reflection events occurring at depths as shallow as 60–100 m. The processing strategy included enhancing the signals hidden behind large‐amplitude noise, including clipped ground roll. The pre‐ and poststack processing includes shot f-k filtering, residual statics, careful muting after NMO correction, energy balance, and coherency filtering. The final processed seismic sections indicate that reflected energy in these data sets is closely related to rock quality in Äspö data and fracturing in Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. (AECL) data. The lithologic boundaries are not clearly mappable in these data. When thickness of the reflection zone is of the order of a wavelength, the top and bottom of the zone may be resolved. The major fracture zones in crystalline rocks correlate closely with the well‐log data and are usually characterized by very low velocity and produce low‐acoustic‐impedance contrasts compared to those of surrounding rocks. Because the incidence angles vary rapidly for shallow‐reflection geometries, segments of major fracture zones can effectively be analyzed in terms of reflectivity. Reflection images of each fracture zone were investigated in the common‐offset section, where each focused event was associated with a consistent incidence angle on the reflectivity map. The complex attributes of the data indicate that strong reflectors at shallow depth coincide with intensely fractured zones. These correlate well with instantaneous amplitude plots and instantaneous frequency plots. The instantaneous phase plot also identifies the major and minor fractures.

Seismic tomography studies of cover thickness and near-surface bedrock velocities

Geophysics ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. U77-U84 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Bergman ◽  
A. Tryggvason ◽  
C. Juhlin
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
General Situation ◽  
Seismic Profiles ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Reflection Seismic ◽  
Crystalline Bedrock ◽  
Cover Thickness

Reflection seismic imaging of the uppermost kilometer of crystalline bedrock is an important component in site surveys for locating potential storage sites for nuclear waste in Sweden. To obtain high-quality images, refraction statics are calculated using first-break traveltimes. These first-break picks may also be used to produce tomographic velocity images of the uppermost bedrock. In an earlier study, we presented a method applicable to data sets where the vast majority of shots are located in the bedrock below the glacial deposits, or cover, typical for northern latitudes. A by-product of this method was an estimate of the cover thickness from the receiver static that was introduced to sharpen the image. We now present a modified version of this method that is applicable for sources located in or on the cover, the general situation for nuclear waste site surveys. This modified methodalso solves for 3D velocity structure and static correctionssimultaneously in the inversion process. The static corrections can then be used to estimate the cover thickness. First, we test our tomography method on synthetic data withthe shot points in the bedrock below the cover. Next, we developa strategy for the case when the sources are within the cover. Themethod is then applied to field data from five crooked-line,high-resolution reflection seismic profiles ranging in lengthfrom 2 to [Formula: see text]. The crooked-line profiles make the study 2.5dimensional regarding bedrock velocities. The cover thicknessalong the profiles varies from 0 to [Formula: see text]. Estimated thickness ofthe cover agrees well with data from boreholes drilled near theprofiles. Low-velocity zones in the uppermost bedrock generallycorrelate with locations where reflections from the stackedsections project to the surface. Thus, the method is functional,both for imaging the uppermost bedrock velocities as well as for estimating the cover thickness.

Rapid map and inversion of P-SV waves

Geophysics ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 859-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Rock Properties ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
P Waves ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Seismic Profiling ◽  
Vertical Seismic Profiling ◽  
And Inversion

Multicomponent seismic recordings are currently being analyzed in an attempt to improve conventional P‐wave sections and to find and use rock properties associated with shear waves (e.g. Dohr, 1985; Danbom and Dominico, 1986). Mode‐converted (P-SV) waves hold a special interest for several reasons: They are generated by conventional P‐wave sources and have only a one‐way travel path as a shear wave through the typically low velocity and attenuative near surface. For a given frequency, they will have a shorter wavelength than the original P wave, and thus offer higher spatial resolution; this has been observed in several vertical seismic profiling (VSP) cases (e.g., Geis et al., 1990). However, for surface seismic data, converted waves are often found to be of lower frequency than P-P waves (e.g., Eaton et al., 1991).

scholarly journals Shallow Seismic Investigation of the Teton Fault

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 2-10
Author(s):  
Glenn Thackray ◽  
Mark Zellman ◽  
Jason Altekruse ◽  
Bruno Protti ◽  
Harrison Colandera
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Hanging Wall ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Fault Scarp ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Wave Refraction ◽  
Shallow Seismic ◽  
Teton Range

Preliminary results from seismic data collected at two sites on the Teton fault reveal shallow sub-surface fault structure and a basis for evaluating the post-glacial faulting record in greater detail. These new data include high-resolution shallow 2D seismic refraction and Interferometric Multi-Channel Analysis of Surface Waves (IMASW) (O’Connell and Turner 2010) depth-averaged shear wave velocity (Vs). The Teton fault, a down-to-the east normal fault, is expressed as a distinct topographic escarpment along the base of the eastern front of the Teton Range in Wyoming. The average fault scarp height cut into deglacial surfaces in several similar valleys and an assumed 14,000 yr BP deglaciation indicates an average postglacial offset rate of 0.82 m/ka (Thackray and Staley, in review). Because the fault is located almost entirely within Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), and in terrain that is remote and difficult to access, very few subsurface studies have been used to evaluate the fault. As a result, many uncertainties exist in the present characterization of along-strike slip rate, down-dip geometry, and rupture history, among other parameters. Additionally, questions remain about the fault dip at depth. Shallow seismic data were collected at two locations on the Teton fault scarp to (1) use a non-destructive, highly portable and cost-effective data collection system to image and characterize the Teton fault, (2) use the data to estimate vertical offsets of faulted bedrock and sediment, and (3) estimate fault dip in the shallow subsurface. Vs data were also collected at three GTNP facility structures to provide measured 30 m depth-averaged Vs (Vs30) for each site. Seismic data were collected using highly portable equipment packed into each site on foot. The system utilizes a sensor line 92 m long that includes 24 geophones (channels) at 4 m intervals. At both the Taggart Lake and String Lake sites, P-wave refraction data were collected spanning the fault scarp and perpendicular to local fault strike, as well as IMASW Vs seismic lines positioned on the hanging wall to provide Vs vs. Depth profiles crossing and perpendicular to the refraction survey lines. The Taggart Lake and String Lake 2D P-wave refraction profile and IMASW Vs plots reveal buried velocity structure that is vertically offset by the Teton fault. At Taggart Lake, we interpret the velocity horizon to be the top of dense glacial sediment (possibly compacted till), which is overlain by younger, slower, sediments. This surface is offset ~13 m (down-to-the-east) across the Teton fault. The vertical offset is in agreement with the measured height of the corresponding topographic scarp (~12 - 15 m). Geomorphic analysis of EarthScope (2008) LiDAR reveals small terraces, slope inflections and an abandoned channel on the footwall side of the scarp. At String Lake, the shallow buried velocity structure is inferred as unconsolidated alluvium (till, colluvium, alluvium); this relatively low velocity zone (

The SEAM Barrett model: strengths and weaknesses

Geophysics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Heloise Lynn ◽  
Colin M. Sayers ◽  
Benjamin Roure
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Unconventional Reservoirs ◽  
Velocity Variation ◽  
Permian Basin ◽  
Amplitude Variation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Reflection Seismic ◽  
The North ◽  
Shale Reservoirs

The SEAM Barrett model was designed to model typical land basins found in the North American mid-continent that host unconventional reservoirs, such as fractured shale reservoirs. This model was used recently in several studies to assess whether shale bodies could be resolved using azimuthal 3D P-P reflection seismic data. In one study it was claimed that near-surface complexity prevents the identification of the shale bodies using azimuthal analysis and concluded that VVAz (Velocity Variation with Azimuth) and AVAz (Amplitude Variation with Azimuth) are not worth running in the Permian basin. However, another study by different authors applied a different seismic processing sequence to successfully resolve the reservoir geobodies and showed promising AVAz and VVAz results. This paper focuses on the SEAM Barrett model itself. Despite some advantages, the limitations of the Barrett model prevent conclusions to be drawn about the usefulness of VVAz and AVAz to characterize fractured reservoirs in other situations, such as the Permian Basin.

Imaging the upper part of the Red Lake greenstone belt, northwestern Ontario, with 3-D traveltime tomography

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 849-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fafu Zeng ◽  
Andrew J Calvert
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Hanging Wall ◽  
Shear Zones ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Seismic Line ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Red Lake

Seismic reflection line 2B was shot across the Archean Red Lake greenstone belt and Sydney Lake fault zone that marks the northern boundary of the English River metasedimentary belt, as part of the Western Superior Lithoprobe transect. Three-dimensional tomographic inversion of first arrival traveltimes recorded in this survey delineate the subsurface to depths as great as 1.5 km around this crooked two-dimensional seismic line. Within the Red Lake greenstone belt, P-wave velocities of 6.2–7.0 km s–1 occur at 500 m depth in the Mesoarchean Balmer assemblage, clearly distinguishable from the lower velocities of 5.1–6.1 km s–1 of the Neoarchean Confederation assemblage. Although the overall range of velocities in the metasedimentary rocks of the English River subprovince is similar to that found in the Confederation assemblage, lower velocities of 5.1–5.4 km s–1 are found in the upper 300 m of the metasedimentary rocks. In particular, two 2–3 km wide, east-northeast-striking zones of low velocity are associated with the Sydney Lake fault zone and the Pakwash Lake fault zone. Correlation of the velocities with the coincident reflection section suggests that these two faults delineate a fault-bounded block in the hanging wall of a more northerly fault zone that crops out within the Uchi subprovince. Anomalous regions of low velocity, which occur at the boundary between the Confederation and Balmer assemblages, and within the Balmer assemblage, may also be related to shear zones that have minimal near-surface expression, felsic lithologies, or hydrothermal alteration of the basalts.

Pitfalls in processing near-surface reflection-seismic data: Beware of static corrections and migration

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1382-1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Frei ◽  
R. Bauer ◽  
Ph. Corboz ◽  
D. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Surface Reflection ◽  
Reflection Seismic ◽  
Static Corrections ◽  
And Migration

scholarly journals Modeling of the Dammam outcrop fractures: Case study for fracture development in salt-cored structures

GeoArabia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-80
Author(s):  
Mohammed Al-Fahmi ◽  
L. Cooke Michele ◽  
John C. Cole
Keyword(s):  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Data Interpretation ◽  
Karst Collapse ◽  
Gulf Region ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Reflection Seismic ◽  
Mechanical Stratigraphy ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Fracture Development ◽  
Regional Stresses

ABSTRACT The exposed Cenozoic carbonates of the Dammam Dome are studied to: (1) characterize fractures and associated structures; (2) interpret the fracture mechanism; and (3) gain insights into fracture development within dome-like structures in the subsurface of the Arabian Gulf region. The fieldwork is integrated with structural analysis of the near-surface horizons mapped from interpretations of 3-D reflection seismic and borehole logs. Fractures are mapped from the outcrops of the middle limestone unit of the Eocene Rus Formation. The outcrops are concentrated in the central, northern and western areas of the Dammam Dome. The fractures are interpreted as opening-mode, bed-bounded joints that form orthogonal sets in most areas. The primary (older) joint set (J1) developed in long lineaments, some of which can be traced for over 300 m across entire exposures. The J1 set is found to be broadly consistent in its trend over the dome, indicating that formation of J1 fractures was systematic and not influenced by local structural anomalies (including karst collapse) formed during the Miocene to Recent. The trend of the J1 set does not correlate with the NE-SW compressional orientation of regional stresses associated with the Zagros Orogeny. Field data interpretation, allied with analysis of dome’s growth and curvature, suggest that the overall joint pattern reflects the growth of the strata as a dome. In addition, the joint density is controlled by structural position on the dome and mechanical stratigraphy. The study results provide a first-order conceptual fracture model for the subsurface reservoirs to guide future development.

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