scholarly journals Time-average velocity estimation through surface-wave analysis: Part 2 — P-wave velocity

Geophysics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. U61-U73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Valentina Socco ◽  
Cesare Comina

Surface waves (SWs) in seismic records can be used to extract local dispersion curves (DCs) along a seismic line. These curves can be used to estimate near-surface S-wave velocity models. If the velocity models are used to compute S-wave static corrections, the required information consists of S-wave time-average velocities that define the one-way time for a given datum plan depth. However, given the wider use of P-wave reflection seismic with respect to S-wave surveys, the estimate of P-wave time-average velocity would be more useful. We therefore focus on the possibility of also extracting time-average P-wave velocity models from SW dispersion data. We start from a known 1D S-wave velocity model along the line, with its relevant DC, and we estimate a wavelength/depth relationship for SWs. We found that this relationship is sensitive to Poisson’s ratio, and we develop a simple method for estimating an “apparent” Poisson’s ratio profile, defined as the Poisson’s ratio value that relates the time-average S-wave velocity to the time-average P-wave velocity. Hence, we transform the time-average S-wave velocity models estimated from the DCs into the time-average P-wave velocity models along the seismic line. We tested the method on synthetic and field data and found that it is possible to retrieve time-average P-wave velocity models with uncertainties mostly less than 10% in laterally varying sites and one-way traveltime for P-waves with less than 5 ms uncertainty with respect to P-wave tomography data. To our knowledge, this is the first method for reliable estimation of P-wave velocity from SW data without any a priori information or additional data.

Author(s):  
M J Funnell ◽  
A H Robinson ◽  
R W Hobbs ◽  
C Peirce

Summary The seismic velocity of the oceanic crust is a function of its physical properties that include its lithology, degree of alteration, and porosity. Variations in these properties are particularly significant in young crust, but also occur with age as it evolves through hydrothermal circulation and is progressively covered with sediment. While such variation may be investigated through P-wave velocity alone, joint analysis with S-wave velocity allows the determination of Poisson's ratio, which provides a more robust insight into the nature of change in these properties. Here we describe the independent modelling of P- and S-wave seismic datasets, acquired along an ∼330 km-long profile traversing new to ∼8 Myr-old oceanic crust formed at the intermediate-spreading Costa Rica Rift (CRR). Despite S-wave data coverage being almost four-times lower than that of the P-wave dataset, both velocity models demonstrate correlations in local variability and a long-wavelength increase in velocity with distance, and thus age, from the ridge axis of up to 0.8 and 0.6 km s−1, respectively. Using the Vp and Vs models to calculate Poisson's ratio (σ), it reveals a typical structure for young oceanic crust, with generally high values in the uppermost crust that decrease to a minimum of 0.24 by 1.0–1.5 km sub-basement, before increasing again throughout the lower crust. The observed upper crustal decrease in σ most likely results from sealing of fractures, which is supported by observations of a significant decrease in porosity with depth (from ∼15 to < 2 per cent) through the dyke sequence in Ocean Drilling Program borehole 504B. High Poisson's ratio (>0.31) is observed throughout the crust of the north flank of the CRR axis and, whilst this falls within the ‘serpentinite’ classification of lithological proxies, morphological evidence of pervasive surface magmatism and limited tectonism suggests, instead, that the cause is porosity in the form of pervasive fracturing and, thus, that this is the dominant control on seismic velocity in the newly formed CRR crust. South of the CRR, the values of Poisson's ratio are representative of more typical oceanic crust, and decrease with increasing distance from the spreading centre, most likely as a result of mineralisation and increased fracture infill. This is supported by borehole observations and modelled 3-D seismic anisotropy. Crustal segments formed during periods of particularly low half-spreading rate (<35 mm yr−1) demonstrate high Poisson's ratio relative to the background, indicating the likely retention of increased porosity and fracturing associated with the greater degrees of tectonism at the time of their formation. Across the south flank of the CRR, we find that the average Poisson's ratio in the upper 1 km of the crust decreases with age by ∼0.0084 Myr−1 prior to the thermal sealing of the crust, suggesting that, to at least ∼7 Myr, advective hydrothermal processes dominate early CRR-generated oceanic crustal evolution, consistent with heat flow measurements.


Geophysics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Mathisen ◽  
Paul Cunningham ◽  
Jesse Shaw ◽  
Anthony A. Vasiliou ◽  
J. H. Justice ◽  
...  

S‐wave, P‐wave, and Poisson’s ratio tomograms have been used to interpret the 3-D distribution of rock and fluid properties during an early phase of a California heavy oil sand steamflood. Four lines of good quality crosswell seismic data, with source to receiver offsets ranging from 287 to 551 ft (87 to 168 m), were acquired in a radial pattern around a high temperature cemented receiver cable in four days. Processing, first‐arrival picking, and good quality tomographic reconstructions were completed despite offset‐related variations in data quality between the long and short lines. Interpretation was based on correlations with reservoir models, log, core, temperature, and steam injection data. S‐wave tomograms define the 3-D distribution of the “high flow” turbidite channel facies, the “moderate‐low flow” levee facies, porosity, and structural dip. The S‐wave tomograms also define an area with anomalously low S‐wave velocity, which correlates with low shear log velocities and suggests that pressure‐related dilation and compaction may be imageable. P‐wave tomograms define the same reservoir lithology and structure as the S‐wave tomograms and the 3-D distribution of low compressional velocity zones formed by previous steam‐heat injection and the formation of gas. The low P‐wave velocity zones, which are laterally continuous in the “high flow” channel facies near the top of most zones, indicate that the steam‐heat‐gas distribution is controlled by stratification. The stratigraphic control of gas‐bearing zones inferred from P‐wave tomograms is confirmed by Poisson’s ratio tomograms which display low Poisson’s ratios indicative of gas (<0.35) in the same zones as the low P‐wave velocities. The interpretation results indicate that radial survey tomograms can be tied at a central well and used to develop an integrated 3-D geoscience‐engineering reservoir model despite offset‐related variations in data quality. The laterally continuous, stratification‐controlled, low P‐wave velocity zones, which extend up‐dip, suggest that significant amounts of steam‐heat are not heating the surrounding reservoir volume but are flowing updip along “high flow” channels.


1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Boland ◽  
R. M. Ellis

The Kapuskasing uplift is an oblique cross section of Archean crust exposed by a major thrusting event in Early Proterozoic times. Previous results from the traveltime and amplitude analysis of compressional-wave (P-wave) arrivals from a seismic-refraction experiment have been used to constrain the modelling of shear-wave (S-wave) arrivals and gravity anomalies along the seismic profiles. S-wave and P-wave velocity information have been combined to obtain the variations of Poisson's ratio within the crust. High and low Poisson's ratio values have been linked to the mafic and felsic content, respectively, of the Shield rocks. Density variations along the profiles, constrained by the P-wave velocity structures and the observed gravity anomalies, again have been linked to the lithological variations as observed in the exposed cross section. Geological models, constrained by the geophysical observations and the cross-sectional exposure, have been constructed for profiles across the northern and southern portions of the main uplift region. The results indicate an increase in pyroxene and garnetiferous gneisses with depth in the crust, as suggested by the high P-wave velocities (7.0–7.6 km/s), high densities (3050–3150 kg/m3, high Poisson's ratio values (0.26–0.28), and the petrological variations within the exposure. The presence of a low-velocity and low-density layer of tonalites under the surface greenstones has been established and can account for the low-velocity zones imaged along the Abitibi profile of this experiment and those imaged in other Shield refraction experiments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caglar Ozer ◽  
Mehmet Ozyazicioglu

Erzurum and its surroundings are one of the seismically active and hydrothermal areas in the Eastern part of Turkey. This study is the first approach to characterize the crust by seismic features by using the local earthquake tomography method. The earthquake source location and the three dimensional seismic velocity structures are solved simultaneously by an iterative tomographic algorithm, LOTOS-12. Data from a combined permanent network comprising comprises of 59 seismometers which was installed by Ataturk University-Earthquake Research Center and Earthquake Department of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority  to monitor the seismic activity in the Eastern Anatolia, In this paper, three-dimensional Vp and Vp/Vs characteristics of Erzurum geothermal area were investigated down to 30 km by using 1685 well-located earthquakes with 29.894 arrival times, consisting of 17.298 P- wave and 12.596 S- wave arrivals. We develop new high-resolution depth-cross sections through Erzurum and its surroundings to provide the subsurface geological structure of seismogenic layers and geothermal areas. We applied various size horizontal and vertical checkerboard resolution tests to determine the quality of our inversion process. The basin models are traceable down to 3 km depth, in terms of P-wave velocity models. The higher P-wave velocity areas in surface layers are related to the metamorphic and magmatic compact materials. We report that the low Vp and high Vp/Vs values are observed in Yedisu, Kaynarpinar, Askale, Cimenozu, Kaplica, Ovacik, Yigitler, E part of Icmeler, Koprukoy, Uzunahmet, Budakli, Soylemez, Koprukoy, Gunduzu, Karayazi, Icmesu, E part of Horasan and Kaynak regions indicated geothermal reservoir.


Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Yunjiang Sun ◽  
Jianping Zuo ◽  
Yue Shi ◽  
Zhengdai Li ◽  
Changning Mi ◽  
...  

Ultrasonic wave velocity is effective to evaluate anisotropy property and predict rock failure. This paper investigates the correlation between dynamic ultrasonic and mechanical properties of sandstones with different buried depths subjected to uniaxial compression tests. The circumferential anisotropy and axial wave velocity of sandstone are obtained by means of ultrasonic wave velocity measurements. The mechanical properties, including Young’s modulus and uniaxial compressive strength, are positively correlated with the axial P wave velocity. The average angles between the sandstone failure plane and the minimum and maximum wave directions are 35.8° and 63.3°, respectively. The axial P wave velocity almost keeps constant, and the axial S wave velocity has a decreasing trend before the failure of rock specimen. In most rock samples under uniaxial compression, shear failure occurs in the middle and splitting appears near both sides. Additionally, the dynamic Young’s modulus and dynamic Poisson’s ratio during loading are obtained, and the negative values of the Poisson’s ratio occur at the initial compression stage. Distortion and rotation of micro/mesorock structures may be responsible for the negative Poisson’s ratio.


2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (1) ◽  
pp. 560-571
Author(s):  
Lingli Gao ◽  
Yudi Pan ◽  
Thomas Bohlen

SUMMARY 2-D full-waveform inversion (FWI) of shallow-seismic wavefields has recently become a novel way to reconstruct S-wave velocity models of the shallow subsurface with high vertical and lateral resolution. In most applications, seismic wave attenuation is ignored or considered as a passive modelling parameter only. In this study, we explore the feasibility and performance of multiparameter viscoelastic 2-D FWI in which seismic velocities and attenuation of P and S waves, respectively, and mass density are inverted simultaneously. Synthetic reconstruction experiments reveal that multiple crosstalks between all viscoelastic material parameters may occur. The reconstruction of S-wave velocity is always robust and of high quality. The parameters P-wave velocity and density exhibit weaker sensitivity and can be reconstructed more reliably by multiparameter viscoelastic FWI. Anomalies in S-wave attenuation can be recovered but with limited resolution. In a field-data application, a small-scale refilled trench is nicely delineated as a low P- and S-wave velocity anomaly. The reconstruction of P-wave velocity is improved by the simultaneous inversion of attenuation. The reconstructed S-wave attenuation reveals higher attenuation in the shallow weathering zone and weaker attenuation below. The variations in the reconstructed P- and S-wave velocity models are consistent with the reflectivity observed in a ground penetrating radar (GPR) profile.


Geophysics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. U49-U59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Valentina Socco ◽  
Cesare Comina ◽  
Farbod Khosro Anjom

In some areas, the estimation of static corrections for land seismic data is a critical step of the processing workflow. It often requires the execution of additional surveys and data analyses. Surface waves (SWs) in seismic records can be processed to extract local dispersion curves (DCs) that can be used to estimate near-surface S-wave velocity models. Here we focus on the direct estimation of time-average S-wave velocity models from SW DCs without the need to invert the data. Time-average velocity directly provides the value of one-way time, given a datum plan depth. The method requires the knowledge of one 1D S-wave velocity model along the seismic line, together with the relevant DC, to estimate a relationship between SW wavelength and investigation depth on the time-average velocity model. This wavelength/depth relationship is then used to estimate all the other time-average S-wave velocity models along the line directly from the DCs by means of a data transformation. This approach removes the need for extensive data inversion and provides a simple method suitable for industrial workflows. We tested the method on synthetic and field data and found that it is possible to retrieve the time-average velocity models with uncertainties less than 10% in sites with laterally varying velocities. The error on one-way times at various depths of the datum plan retrieved by the time-average velocity models is mostly less than 5 ms for synthetic and field data.


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