Seafloor seismology with Distributed Acoustic Sensing in Monterey Bay

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Lindsey ◽  
Jonathan Ajo-Franklin ◽  
Craig Dawe ◽  
Lise Retailleau ◽  
Biondo Biondi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solid Earth ◽  
Wavelet Transforms ◽  
Seismic Waves ◽  
Wind Waves ◽  
Thickness Distribution ◽  
Wave Interaction ◽  
Monterey Bay ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing

<p>Emerging distributed fiber-optic sensing technology coupled to existing subsea telecommunications cables enable access to meterscale, multi-kilometer aperture, broadband seismic array observations of ocean and solid earth phenomena. In this talk, we report on two multi-day Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) campaigns conducted in 2018 and 2019 with the Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) observatory tether cable. In both experiments, a DAS instrument located on shore was connected to a fiber inside the buried MARS cable and recorded a ~10,000-component, 20-kilometer-long, strain-rate array. We use the 8 TB DAS dataset to address three questions:</p><p>1. How can seafloor DAS earthquake records inform offshore seismic hazard assessments? Offshore seismic hazards are poorly characterized despite dense coastal populations. The MARS DAS array captured multiple unaliased earthquake recordings, which document phase conversions and abrupt S-wave delays of 0.25 s at mapped (and unmapped) faults that transect the cable. Minor earthquakes in Northern California produce seismic waves in the range 0.5 - 50 Hz, which interact with submarine faults lying just offshore. Spectral ratios and wavefield synthetics are used to explore how seismic waves from well-characterized earthquakes interact with poorly-characterized subsea faults.</p><p>2. How are ocean microseisms and other coastal processes recorded by subsea DAS? Horizontal seabed ambient noise recorded with the MARS DAS array matches the expected dispersion of primary microseisms (f~0.05-0.15 Hz) induced by shoaling ocean surface waves, but at a higher band than onshore observations. Separation of incoming and outgoing waves recorded over the DAS array validates the Longuet-Higgins-Hasselmann theory that bi-directional ocean wind-waves undergo nonlinear wave interaction, producing secondary microseisms (f~0.4-1.5 Hz), even when the outgoing energy is observed to be <1% of the incoming energy. Continuous wavelet transforms of sea state observations from buoys, onshore broadband seismometers, and subsea DAS provide insight into the physics of microseism generation and ocean-solid earth coupling. Additionally, DAS provides observation of post-low-tide tidal bores (f~1-5 Hz), storm-induced sediment transport (f~0.8-10 Hz), infragravity waves (f~0.01-0.05 Hz), and breaking internal waves (f~0.001 Hz) consistent with previous point sensor observations in Monterey Bay. </p><p>3. How is the coastal seafloor structure organized from shore to shelf break? The northern continental shelf of Monterey Bay is comprised of allochthonous Cretaceous granite overlain by marine sediments of varying thickness, and is crosscut by abandoned (and subsequently filled) paleochannels. Noise interferometry applied to the full MARS DAS dataset in the 0.25 - 5 Hz range retrieves Scholte waves, which are dispersive and coherent over 2 - 6 kilometers. We apply fundamental mode dispersion (1.5D) imaging to subarray noise correlations in order to understand the sediment thickness distribution across the shelf. Our model is compared with recent seismic reflection profiling conducted by the USGS California Seafloor Mapping Program.</p>

scholarly journals Urban Distributed Acoustic Sensing Using In-Situ Fibre Beneath Bern, Switzerland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystyna Smolinski ◽  
Patrick Paitz ◽  
Daniel Bowden ◽  
Pascal Edme ◽  
Felix Kugler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Seismic Waves ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Noise Sources ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing

<p>Anticipating the risks natural hazards pose to an urban environment requires an understanding of the shallow Earth structure of the region. While urban infrastructure often hinders the deployment of a traditional seismic array, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology facilitates the use of existing telecommunication fibre-optic cables for seismic observation, with spatial resolution down to the metre scale.</p><p>Through collaboration with the SWITCH foundation, we were able to use existing, in-situ fibres beneath Bern, Switzerland for seismic data acquisition over two weeks, covering a distance of 6 km with a spatial resolution of 2 m. This allowed for not only real-time visualisation of anthropogenic noise sources (e.g. road traffic), but also of the propagation of resulting seismic waves.</p><p>Data is analysed in the time and frequency domain to explore the range of signals captured and to assess the consistency of data quality along the cable. The local velocity structure can be constrained using both noise correlations and deterministic signals excited by traffic.</p><p>Initial results reveal the ability of DAS to capture signals over a wide range of frequencies and distances, and show promise for utilising urban DAS data to perform urban seismic tomography and hazard analysis.</p>

scholarly journals The seismic wavefield as seen by Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) arrays: local, regional and teleseismic sources

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Kennett
Keyword(s):  
Strain Rate ◽  
Seismic Waves ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Laser Pulses ◽  
Gauge Length ◽  
Additional Contribution ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Seismic Wavefield

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) exploiting fibre optic cables provides a means for high-density sampling of the seismic wavefield. The scattered returns from multiple laser pulses provide local averages of strain rate over a finite gauge length, and the nature of the signal depends on the orientation of the cable with respect to the passing seismic waves. The properties of the wavefield in the slowness-frequency domain help to provide understanding of the nature of DAS recordings. For local events the dominant part of the strain rate can be extracted from the difference of ground velocity resolved along the fibre at the ends of the gauge interval, with an additional contribution just near the source. For more distant events the response at seismic frequencies can be represented as the acceleration along the fibre modulated by the horizontal slowness resolved in the same direction, which means there is a strong dependence on cable orientation. These representations of the wavefield provide insight into the character of the DAS wavefield in a range of situations from a local jump source, through a regional earthquake to teleseismic recording with different cable configurations and geographic locations. The slowness domain representation of the DAS signal allows analysis of the array response of cable configurations indicating the important role of the slowness weighting associated with the effect of gauge length. Unlike seismometer arrays the response is not described by a single generic stacking function. For high frequency waves, direct stacking enhances P, SV waves and Rayleigh waves; an azimuthal weighted stack provides retrieval of SH and Love waves at the cost of enhanced sidelobes in the array response.

Distributed acoustic sensing for shallow seismic investigations and void detection

Geophysics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-69
Author(s):  
Yarin Abukrat ◽  
Moshe Reshef
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Component ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Wave Mode ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Shallow Subsurface ◽  
Diffraction Imaging ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing

During the last decade, fiber-optic-based distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has emerged as an affordable, easy-to-deploy, reliable, and non-invasive technique for high-resolution seismic sensing. We show that fiber deployments dedicated to near-surface seismic applications, commonly employed for the detection and localization of voids, can be used effectively with conventional processing techniques. We tested a variety of small-size sources in different geological environments. These sources, operated on and below the surface, were recorded by horizontal and vertical DAS arrays. Results and comparisons to data acquired by vertical-component geophones demonstrate that DAS may be sufficient for acquiring near-surface seismic data. Furthermore, we tried to address the issue of directional sensing by DAS arrays and use it to solve the problem of wave-mode separation. Records acquired by a unique acquisition setup suggest that one can use the nature of DAS systems as uniaxial strainmeters to record separated wave modes. Lastly, we applied two seismic methods on DAS data acquired at a test site: multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) and shallow diffraction imaging. These methods allowed us to determine the feasibility of using DAS systems for imaging shallow subsurface voids. MASW was used to uncover anomalies in S-wave velocity, whereas shallow diffraction imaging was applied to identify the location of the void. Results obtained illustrate that by using these methods we are able to accurately detect the true location of the void.

Distributed Acoustic Sensing Turns Fiber‐Optic Cables into Sensitive Seismic Antennas

2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongwen Zhan
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Waves ◽  
Fiber Optic ◽  
Glass Fibers ◽  
Ocean Bottom ◽  
Thin Glass ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Solar System Bodies ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Seismic Networks

Abstract Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a new, relatively inexpensive technology that is rapidly demonstrating its promise for recording earthquake waves and other seismic signals in a wide range of research and public safety arenas. It should significantly augment present seismic networks. For several important applications, it should be superior. It employs ordinary fiber‐optic cables, but not as channels for data among separate sophisticated instruments. With DAS, the hair‐thin glass fibers themselves are the sensors. Internal natural flaws serve as seismic strainmeters, kinds of seismic detector. Unused or dark fibers are common in fiber cables widespread around the globe, or in dedicated cables designed for special application, are appropriate for DAS. They can sample passing seismic waves at locations every few meters or closer along paths stretching for tens of kilometers. DAS arrays should enrich the three major areas of local and regional seismology: earthquake monitoring, imaging of faults and many other geologic formations, and hazard assessment. Recent laboratory and field results from DAS tests underscore its broad bandwidth and high‐waveform fidelity. Thus, while still in its infancy, DAS already has shown itself as the working heart—or perhaps ear drums—of a valuable new seismic listening tool. My colleagues and I expect rapid growth of applications. We further expect it to spread into such frontiers as ocean‐bottom seismology, glacial and related cryoseismology, and seismology on other solar system bodies.

Distributed Acoustic Sensing Using a Large-Volume Airgun Source and Internet Fiber in an Urban Area

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenghong Song ◽  
Xiangfang Zeng ◽  
Baoshan Wang ◽  
Jun Yang ◽  
Xiaobin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Gauge Length ◽  
P Wave ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Wave Signal ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Abstract Seismological methods have been widely used to construct subsurface images in urban areas, for both seismological and engineering purposes. However, it remains a challenge to continuously operate a dense array in cities for high-resolution 4D imaging. In this study, we utilized distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) and a 5.2 km long, L-shaped, telecom, fiber-optic cable to record the wavefield from a highly repeatable airgun source located 7–10 km away. No P-wave signal was observed, but the S-wave signal emerged clearly on the shot-stacked traces, and the arrivals were consistent with collocated geophone traces. Because the signal quality is significantly affected by cable coupling and local noise, three methods can be employed to improve signal-to-noise ratio: (1) stacking contiguous, colinear channels to increase effective gauge length, (2) connecting multiple fibers within a single conduit and stacking collocated channels, and (3) using engineered fiber. In conclusion, the combination of DAS, using internet fiber and an airgun source with proven efficient signal enhancement methods, can provide frequent snapshots of the near surface across an urban area.

Detecting anisotropy using Distributed Acoustic Sensing and fibre-optic seismology in a fast-flowing glacier in Greenland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Booth ◽  
Poul Christoffersen ◽  
Charlotte Schoonman ◽  
Andy Clarke ◽  
Bryn Hubbard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Sediment Layer ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Seismic Properties ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Zero Offset

<p>Material anisotropy within a glacier both influences and is influenced by its internal flow regime. Anisotropy can be measured from surface seismic recordings, using either active sources or natural seismic emissions. In the past decade, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) has emerged as a new, and potentially transformative, seismic acquisition technology, involving determining seismic responses from the deformation of optical fibres. Although DAS has shown great potential within engineering and resources sectors, it has not yet been widely deployed in studies of glaciers and ice masses.</p><p>Here, we present results from a glaciological deployment of a DAS system. In July 2019, a Solifos BRUsens fibre optic cable was installed in a 1050 m borehole drilled on Store Glacier in West Greenland. Vertical seismic profiles (VSPs) were recorded using a Silixa iDAS interrogation unit, with seismic energy generated with a 7 kg sledgehammer striking a polyethene (UHMWPE) impact plate. A three-day sequence of zero-offset VSPs (with the source located ~1 m from the borehole top) were recorded to monitor the freezing of the cable, combined with offset-VSPs in along- and cross-flow directions, and radially at 300 m offset.</p><p>P-wave energy (frequency ~200 Hz) is detectable through the whole ice thickness, sampled at 1 m depth increments. The zero-offset reflectivity of the glacier bed is low, but reflections are detected from the apparent base of a subglacial sediment layer. S-wave energy is also detectable in the offset VSP records. The zero-offset VSPs show a mean vertical P-wave velocity of 3800 ± 140 m/s for the upper 800 m of the glacier, rising to 4080 ± 140 m/s between 900-950 m. In the deepest 50 m, velocity reduces to 3890 ± 80 m/s. This variation in vertical velocity is consistent with the development of an anisotropic ice fabric in the lowermost 10% of the glacier. The full dataset also contains natural seismic emissions, highlighting the potential of DAS as both an active and passive seismic monitoring tool.</p><p>DAS offers transformative potential for understanding the seismic properties of glaciers and ice sheets. The simplicity of the typical VSP geometry makes the interpretation of seismic travel-times less vulnerable to approximations, and thus the derivation of seismic properties more robust, than in conventional surface seismic surveys. As an addition, DAS facilitates VSP recording with unprecedented vertical and temporal resolution. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the optical-fibre to both P- and S-wave particle motion means that a comprehensive suite of acoustic and elastic properties can be inferred.</p>

scholarly journals Characteristics of microseismic data recorded by distributed acoustic sensing systems in anisotropic media

Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. KS139-KS147
Author(s):  
A. F. Baird ◽  
A. L. Stork ◽  
S. A. Horne ◽  
G. Naldrett ◽  
J.-M. Kendall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Transverse Isotropy ◽  
Fiber Direction ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Wave Splitting ◽  
Unconventional Gas Reservoirs ◽  
Source Mechanisms ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) cables are now used to monitor microseismicity during hydraulic-fracture stimulations of unconventional gas reservoirs. Unlike geophone arrays, DAS systems are sensitive to uniaxial strain or strain rate along the fiber direction and thus provide a 1C recording, which makes identifying the directionality and polarization of incoming waves difficult. Using synthetic examples, we have shown some fundamental characteristics of microseismic recordings on DAS systems for purposes of hydraulic fracture monitoring in a horizontal well in anisotropic (vertical transverse isotropy [VTI]) shales. We determine that SH arrivals dominate the recorded signals because their polarization is aligned along the horizontal cable at the near offset, although SV will typically dominate for events directly above or below the array. The amplitude of coherent shear-wave (S-wave) arrivals along the cable exhibits a characteristic pattern with bimodal peaks, the width of which relates to the distance of the event from the cable. Furthermore, we find that S-wave splitting recorded on DAS systems can be used to infer the inclination of the incoming waves, overcoming a current limitation of event locations that have constrained events to lie in a horizontal plane. Low-amplitude SV arrivals suggest an event depth similar to that of the DAS cable. Conversely, steep arrivals produce higher amplitude SV-waves, with S-wave splitting increasing with offset along the cable. Finally, we determine how polarity reversals observed in the P and SH phases can be used to provide strong constraints on the source mechanisms.

Modeling the seismic response of individual hydraulic fracturing stages observed in a time-lapse distributed acoustic sensing vertical seismic profiling survey

Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. T225-T235
Author(s):  
Gary Binder ◽  
Aleksei Titov ◽  
Youfang Liu ◽  
James Simmons ◽  
Ali Tura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Decay Time ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Seismic Profiling ◽  
Vertical Seismic Profiling ◽  
Effective Medium Model ◽  
Surface Time ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing

In 2017, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology was deployed in a horizontal well to conduct a vertical seismic profiling survey before and after each of 78 hydraulic fracturing stages. From two vibroseis source locations at the surface, time shifts of P- and S-waves were observed but decayed over days. Some stages also showed waves scattered off the stimulated rock volume. We have used 2D finite difference elastic wavefield modeling to understand these observations and connect them to underlying properties of the stimulated rock. We have developed an effective medium model of vertical fractures that close exponentially with time as fluid leaks off into the formation can match the distribution of P- and S-wave time shifts along the well. This has enabled estimates of the height, normal and tangential fracture compliance values, and decay time of the stimulated rock volume. Additionally, the kinematics of scattered waves observed in the data have been found to be consistent with PS conversion across the stimulated rock volume from an individual stage. With higher quality DAS data, stage-by-stage inversion for height, fracture compliance, and decay time attributes may be possible for characterizing variations in the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing.

Strain microseismics: Radiation patterns, synthetics, and moment tensor resolvability with distributed acoustic sensing in isotropic media

Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. KS101-KS114
Author(s):  
Ismael Vera Rodriguez ◽  
Andreas Wuestefeld
Keyword(s):  
Moment Tensor ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Gauge Length ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Far Field ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Acoustic Sensing ◽  
Moment Tensors ◽  
Isotropic Media ◽  
Distributed Acoustic Sensing

We have derived analytical formulations for the strain field produced by a moment tensor source in homogeneous isotropic media. Such formulations are important for microseismic projects that increasingly are monitored with fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) systems. We find that the spatial derivative of displacement produces new terms in strain proportional to [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text]. In viscoelastic media, the derivative also produces an additional far-field term that is scaled by a frequency-dependent factor. When comparing with full wavefield synthetic data, we observe that the new terms proportional to [Formula: see text] can be considered part of a near-field in strain, similar to the practice with the displacement formulation. Analyses of moment tensor resolvability show that full moment tensors are resolvable with P-wave information from two or more noncoplanar vertical DAS cable geometries if intermediate- and far-field terms are considered and that S-wave information alone cannot constrain full moment tensors using only vertical wells. These results mirror previous observations made with displacement measurements. Furthermore, the addition of the new terms proportional to [Formula: see text] in strain improves the moment tensor resolvability but only in the case of a single vertical array. In the case of a single deviated/horizontal well, we can, in theory, resolve a full moment tensor but a case-by-case analysis is necessary to identify regions of full constraint around the well and the necessary noise conditions to guarantee reliable solutions. Real DAS measurements also are affected by the gauge length and interrogator details. In the case of the gauge length, we observe that this operator does not change the resolvability of the problem but it does affect inversion stability. The results derived here represent theoretical limits or in some cases specific examples. Practical implementations require analyses of conditioning, noise, coupling, and the effect of gauge length on a case-by-case basis.

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