Study on Anti-Disturbance and High-Resolution Shallow Seismic Exploration of Active Faults in Urban Regions

The significance of detection of urban active faults and the general situation concerning detection of urban active faults in the world are briefly introduced. In a brief description of the basic principles of anti-disturbance and high-resolution shallow seismic exploration, the stress is put on the excitation of seismic sources, the performance of digital seismographs, receiving mode and conditions, geometry as well as data acquisition, processing and interpretation in the anti-disturbance and high-resolution shallow seismic exploration of urban active faults. The study indicates that a controlled seismic source with a linear or nonlinear frequency-conversion scanning function and the relevant seismographs must be used in data acquisition, as well as working methods for small group interval, small offset, multi-channel receiving, short-array and high-frequency detectors for receiving are used. Attention should be paid to the application of techniques for static correction of refraction, noise suppressing, high-precision analysis of velocity, wavelet compressing, zero-phasing of wavelet and pre-stacking migration to data processing and interpretation. Finally, some cases of anti-disturbance and high-resolution shallow seismic exploration of urban active faults are present in the paper.

Accurate Source-Receiver Positioning Method for a High-Resolution Deep-Towed Multichannel Seismic Exploration System

The near-seabed multichannel seismic exploration systems have yielded remarkable successes in marine geological disaster assessment,marine gas hydrate investigation,and deep-sea mineral exploration owing to their high vertical and horizontal resolution.However,the quality of deep-towed seismic imaging hinges on accurate source-receiver positioning information.In light of existing technical problems,we propose a novel array geometry inversion method tailored for high-resolution deep-towed multichannel seismic exploration systems.This method is independent of the attitude and depth sensors along a deep-towed seismic streamer,accounting for variations in seawater velocity and seabed slope angle.Our approach decomposes the towed line array into multiline segments and characterizes its geometric shape using the line segment distance and pitch angle.Introducing optimization parameters for seawater velocity and seabed slope angle,we establish an objective function based on the model,yielding results that align with objective reality.Employing the particle swarm optimization algorithm enables synchronous acquisition of optimized inversion results for array geometry and seawater velocity.Experimental validation using theoretical models and practical data verifies that our approach effectively enhances source and receiver positioning inversion accuracy.The algorithm exhibits robust stability and reliability,addressing uncertainties in seismic traveltime picking and complex seabed topography conditions.

High-resolution crustal velocity imaging using ambient noise recordings from a high-density seismic array:An example from the Shangrao section of the Xinjiang basin,China

A profile of shallow crustal velocity structure(1–2 km) may greatly enhance interpretation of the sedimentary environment and shallow tectonic deformation.Recent advances in surface wave tomography, using ambient noise data recorded with high-density seismic arrays, have improved the understanding of regional crustal structure. As the interest in detailed shallow crustal structure imaging has increased, dense seismic array methods have become increasingly efficient. This study used a high-density seismic array deployed in the Xinjiang basin in southeastern China, to record seismic data, which was then processed with the ambient noise tomography method. The high-density seismic array contained 203 short-period seismometers, spaced at short intervals(～ 400 m). The array collected continuous records of ambient noise for 32 days. Data preprocessing,cross correlation calculation, and Rayleigh surface wave phase-velocity dispersion curve extraction, yielded more than 16,000 Rayleigh surface wave phase-velocity dispersion curves, which were then analyzed using the direct-inversion method. Checkerboard tests indicate that the shear wave velocity is recovered in the study area, at depths of 0–1.4 km,with a lateral image resolution of ～ 400 m. Model test results show that the seismic array effectively images a 50 m thick slab at a depth of 0–300 m, a 150 m thick anomalous body at a depth of 300–600 m, and a 400 m thick anomalous body at a depth of 0.6–1.4 km. The shear wave velocity profile reveals features very similar to those detected by a deep seismic reflection profile across the study area. This demonstrates that analysis of shallow crustal velocity structure provides high-resolution imaging of crustal features.Thus, ambient noise tomography with a high-density seismic array may play an important role in imaging shallow crustal structure.

Numerical Simulation for Accuracy of Velocity Analysis in Small-Scale High-Resolution Marine Multichannel Seismic Technology

When used with large energy sparkers, marine multichannel small-scale high-resolution seismic detection technology has a high resolution, high-detection precision, a wide applicable range, and is very flexible. Positive results have been achieved in submarine geological research, particularly in the investigation of marine gas hydrates. However, the amount of traveltime difference information is reduced for the velocity analysis under conditions of a shorter spread length, thus leading to poorer focusing of the velocity spectrum energy group and a lower accuracy of the velocity analysis. It is thus currently debatable whether the velocity analysis accuracy of short-arrangement multichannel seismic detection technology is able to meet the requirements of practical application in natural gas hydrate exploration. Therefore, in this study the bottom boundary of gas hydrates(Bottom Simulating Reflector, BSR) is used to conduct numerical simulation to discuss the accuracy of the velocity analysis related to such technology. Results show that a higher dominant frequency and smaller sampling interval are not only able to improve the seismic resolution, but they also compensate for the defects of the short-arrangement, thereby improving the accuracy of the velocity analysis. In conclusion, the accuracy of the velocity analysis in this small-scale, high-resolution, multi-channel seismic detection technology meets the requirements of natural gas hydrate exploration.

High-Resolution Sequence Stratigraphy of Shallow Lacustrine Delta Front: The Second Member of Sangonghe Formation, Central Junggar Basin

Shallow lacustrine delta front （SLDF） comprises mainly sheetlike subaqueous distributary channels （SDC） formed in shallow, gentle, and tectonically steady slope （Cai and Zhu, 2011）. SDC proves an important hydrocarbon reservoir type in the Daqing oilfield, Changqing oilfield, and the newly discovered Moxizhuang oilfield in Central Junggar Basin. However, SDC tends to prograde quickly and move laterally frequently,

High-resolution central difference scheme for the shallow water equations

A two-dimensional nonoscillatory central difference scheme was extended to the shallow water equations. A high-resolution numerical method for solving the shallow water equations was presented. In order to prevent oscillation, the nonlinear limiter is employed to approximate the discrete slopes. The main advantage of the presented method is simplicity comparable with the upwind schemes. This method does not require Riemann solvers or some form of flux difference splitting methods. Furthermore, the discrete derivatives of flux can be approximated by the component-wise approach and thus the computation of Jacobian can be avoided. The method retains high resolution and high accuracy similar to the upwind results. It is applied to simulating several tests, including circular dam-break problem, shock focusing problem and partial dam-break problem. The results are in good agreement with the numerical results obtained by other methods. The simulated results also demonstrate that the presented method is stable and efficient.

Seismic high-resolution processing method based on spectral simulation and total variation regularization constraints

There is little low-and-high frequency information on seismic data in seismic exploration,resulting in narrower bandwidth and lower seismic resolution.It considerably restricts the prediction accuracy of thin reservoirs and thin interbeds.This study proposes a novel method to constrain improving seismic resolution in the time and frequency domain.The expected wavelet spectrum is used in the frequency domain to broaden the seismic spectrum range and increase the octave.In the time domain,the Frobenius vector regularization of the Hessian matrix is used to constrain the horizontal continuity of the seismic data.It eff ectively protects the signal-to-noise ratio of seismic data while the longitudinal seismic resolution is improved.This method is applied to actual post-stack seismic data and pre-stack gathers dividedly.Without abolishing the phase characteristics of the original seismic data,the time resolution is signifi cantly improved,and the structural features are clearer.Compared with the traditional spectral simulation and deconvolution methods,the frequency distribution is more reasonable,and seismic data has higher resolution.

The Acquisition Technique of High-resolution Seismic Data for the Prospecting of Active Faults

The high-resolution shallow seismic technique can be used for more accurately prospecting the position and property of faults and for the preliminary study of fault activity.The author obtains many high quality stack time sections through the prospecting methods of different seismic sources,different group intervals and different observation systems on the Xiadian fault.These sections clearly display the stratum structure and the structure characteristics from several meters to several hundred meters of the Xiadian fault.The resolutions of the different seismic sources,different group intervals and different observing systems are obtained.The prospecting methods and work parameters applicable for goal stratum of different depths and different accuracy requirements are proposed through the analysis of the stack time sections.This lays a good foundation for raising the prospecting resolution of the fault position and the latest active time of the fault.

Application of Seismic Interferometric Migration for Shallow Seismic High Precision Data Processing: A Case Study in the Shenhu Area

The stability of submarine geological structures has a crucial influence on the construction of offshore engineering projects and the exploitation of seabed resources. Marine geologists should possess a detailed understanding of common submarine geological hazards. Current marine seismic exploration methods are based on the most effective detection technologies. Therefore, current research focuses on improving the resolution and precision of shallow stratum structure detection methods. In this article, the feasibility of shallow seismic structure imaging is assessed by building a complex model, and differences between the seismic interferometry imaging method and the traditional imaging method are discussed. The imaging effect of the model is better for shallow layers than for deep layers because coherent noise produced by this method can result in an unsatisfactory imaging effect for deep layers. The seismic interference method has certain advantages for geological structural imaging of shallow submarine strata, which indicates continuous horizontal events, a high resolution, a clear fault, and an obvious structure boundary. The effects of the actual data applied to the Shenhu area can fully illustrate the advantages of the method. Thus, this method has the potential to provide new insights for shallow submarine strata imaging in the area.

Exploration of Suspected Surface Ruptures of the M_S8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake at Frontal Areas of Longmenshan Using Shallow Seismic Reflection

The great M_S8.0 Wenchuan earthquake on May 12,2008 was generated by abrupt faulting in the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault along the Longmenshan fault zone. The earthquake not only produced surface ruptures along the Yingxiu-Beichuan and Guanxian-Jiangyou faults,but also surface ruptures,arching of highway pavement,sand-boils and waterspouts in various degrees in areas such as Shifang and Mianzhu on the Chengdu Plain. To understand the shallow geological structures under the surface rupture zone,a 6350m long high-resolution shallow seismic reflection profile in near-EW direction was performed. This profile is located at Shigu town,Shifang city,where a suspected earthquake surface rupture zone was discovered. In this study,a group interval of 3m,shotpoint interval of 18m,and a 300-channel 25-fold observation system were used. In consideration of both near-surface reflections and dipping interface imaging,we adopted the split-spread geometry and asymmetrical zero-offset receiving technique. To better suppress random-noise and raise the signal-to-noise ratio of seismic data,30 times vertical stacking of vibrator signals was made for each common-shot gather after correlation of individual records. By using the above work method and spread geometry,we obtained high-resolution images of structures in the depth range of 15m～800m after data processing. The result shows the existence of buried thrust faults thrusting to the plain area and back-thrust faults under the surface rupture zone. It also shows that the activity of the buried thrust faults may be the main cause for folding and deformation in near-surface strata and coseismic surface rupturing.

The movement age of hidden fault and analysis on width of its effect zone from shallow seismic sounding and drilling data

Field experimental seismic sounding permitted us to obtain optimal shallow seismic reflection sounding parameters.In process of data processing,we obtained a high-qualitative shallow seismic reflection sounding profile by using the techniques such as filtering,edition surgical blanking,prediction deconvolution,fitting static correlation of first arrival time,and velocity analysis.Comprehensive analysis on the information of reflection wave groups along the seismic sounding profile and the stratigraphic and neogeochronological data obtained from many drills near the sounding line reveals that the upper termination of the detected fault zone is located at depth of 75~80 m,in the Middle Pleistocene deposits dated to be about 220 ka BP.The continuity,discontinuity,increasing and decreasing amount of reflection wave groups and change of their configurations,in combination with geological columns of drills,permitted us to know that the width of upper termination of the fault zone is 100 m.It can be inferred from the variation of number of reflection wave groups along the profile that the scarp of hidden fault is 200 m wide and the fault is a synsedimentary active fault in the Early Pleistocene and the early stage of Middle Pleistocene.No tectonic movement,which offset the covering deposits,had occurred since the late stage of Middle Pleistocene.

Application of Ultra-shallow Seismic Survey to the Wanggezhuang Fault in Qingdao

At present,there is less theoretical research and practical experience in the aspect of ultrashallow seismic exploration to the target layers at depths of only tens of meters both at home and abroad. Seismic exploration plays an important role in the location of faults and active structures,but the depth dozens of meters below the ground surface is the blind area of any kind of deep and shallow seismic exploration. Starting from the point of view of detecting urban active faults,and using related theories and methods of geology,geophysics and mathematics,the paper discusses the preconditions for acquiring efficient ultra-shallow seismic survey results in complicated geological backgrounds in Qingdao.Taking the Qingdao area as an example in this paper,we study the depth condition of Quaternary deposits,and apply 4-8 stacking folds to satisfy the requirement to get the exploration results with high-resolution and high-SNR. Preliminary results reveal that selecting a proper surveillance layout is one of the keys to acquire authentic exploration results in ultra-shallow P-wave reflection exploration. Our results also show that ultrashallow seismic reflection method in detecting faults in the Qingdao area has good application prospects.

Modeling of low-frequency seismic waves in a shallow sea using the staggered grid difference method

Elastic waves in the seabed generated by low-frequency noise radiating from ships are known as ship seismic waves and can be used to detect and identify ships. To obtain the propagation characteristics of ship seismic waves, an algorithm for calculating Seismic waves at the seafloor is presented based on the staggered-grid finite difference method. The accuracy of the algorithm was tested by comparison with analytical solutions. Numerical simulation of seismic waves generated by a low-frequency point sotmd source in a typical shallow sea environment was carried out. Using various source frequencies and locations in the numerical simulation, we show that the seismic waves in the near field are composed mostly of transmitted S-waves and interface waves while transmitted P-waves are weak near the seafloor. However, in the far field, the wave components of the seismic wave are mainly normal modes and interface waves, with the latter being relatively strong in the waveforms, As the source frequency decreases, the normal modes become smaller and the interface waves dominate the time series of the seismic waves.

On electro-acoustic characteristics of a marine broadband sparker for seismic exploration

The construction of major marine infrastructure projects and the exploration and development of deep-sea mineral resources require fine imaging of seabed strata and structures.The highresolution marine seismic exploration based on a high broadband sparker source is an important approach to reveal seabed stratum and reservoir structure,and identify geohazard.To optimize the performance of sparker seismic source,we investigated the electro-acoustic characteristics of spark discharge under conditions of different charging voltages and electrode numbers.Results show that the sound source level increased with the increase of the charging voltage,whereas the main frequency decreased when the charging voltage increases.In addition,it was found that the charging capacitance had more obvious influence on the main frequency than the sound source level did.Although the load energy decreased with increasing electrode number,the sound source level still increased but the main frequency decreased.Meanwhile,the primary to bubble(P/B)ratio increased with the increase of the electrode number.To gain a deeper insight into the electro-acoustic characteristics,we investigate the relationship between sound source level and power peak,from which a good correlation was observed.A more practical statistical analysis on the rise rate of current was processed,and a perfect logarithmic function was derived.Furthermore,we found that the main frequency was most possibly subjected to the electrical energy,especially the charging energy per electrode.The results indicate that the charging energy per electrode less than 10 J could increase the main frequency to above 300 Hz.At last,the main frequency could be reduced to 20 Hz when the charging energy of a single-electrode discharge was enhanced to over 4 kJ.This study shall be helpful in developing a sparker seismic source and improving the performance for marine engineering exploration and geohazard assessment.

Dynamic Location Method for Shallow Ocean Bottom Nodes Using the Levenberg-Marquart Algorithm

Ocean bottom node(OBN)data acquisition is the main development direction of marine seismic exploration;it is widely promoted,especially in shallow sea environments.However,the OBN receivers may move several times because they are easily affected by tides,currents,and other factors in the shallow sea environment during long-term acquisition.If uncorrected,then the imaging quality of subsequent processing will be affected.The conventional secondary positioning does not consider the case of multiple movements of the receivers,and the accuracy of secondary positioning is insufficient.The first arrival wave of OBN seismic data in shallow ocean mainly comprises refracted waves.In this study,a nonlinear model is established in accordance with the propagation mechanism of a refracted wave and its relationship with the time interval curve to realize the accurate location of multiple receiver movements.In addition,the Levenberg-Marquart algorithm is used to reduce the influence of the first arrival pickup error and to automatically detect the receiver movements,identifying the accurate dynamic relocation of the receivers.The simulation and field data show that the proposed method can realize the dynamic location of multiple receiver movements,thereby improving the accuracy of seismic imaging and achieving high practical value.

Seismic facies response of tectonics and direction of block movement in the northeastern South China Sea

The close relationship between the structure,evolution,and resources environment of the South China Sea is a current research focus and also a focal point of our study.In this paper,we use regional seismic sections to analyze the relationship between seismic facies and the structure and tectonic evolution of the northeastern South China Sea and propose new points about the structure and the direction of block（land mass） motion.First,the tectonic features are clear and can be divided into five different structural units which are both linked and independent of each other.Second,it doesn＇t matter if the South China Sea basin pattern is extensional,weakly compressive,or strongly compressive,the regional tectonic stress field is unified.For the first time we find that two shallow subduction zones are recognized in the seismic profiles.All the tectonic blocks have accordion-fold-style structures,converging in the east,and the South China Sea exhibits different stages of basin development：growth, maturity,end,and termination.The block subduction and regional block dip directions are all aligned with the regional stress field.

Structure and deformation measurements of shallow overburden during top coal caving longwall mining

Mining induced pressures are strong and overburden failure areas are large in top coal caving longwall mining, which constrains high production and safety mining. By employing the combination of the full view borehole photography technique and the seismic CT scanner technique, the deformation and failure of overlying strata of fully mechanized caving face in shallow coal seam were studied and the failure development of overburden was determined. Results show that the full view borehole photography can reveal the characteristics of strata, and the seismic CT scanner can reflect the characteristics of strata between the boreholes. The combined measurement technique can effectively determine the height of fractured and caved zones. The top end of the caved zone in Yangwangou coal mine employing the top coal caving longwall mining was at the depth of 171 m and fractured zone was at the depth of 106-110 m. The results provide a theoretic foundation for controlling the overburden strata in the shallow buried top coal caving panel.

Shallow destructive earthquakes

Depths of earthquake occurrence and large slip distribution are critical for seismic hazard assessment.Numerous examples show that earthquakes with similar magnitudes,however,can result in significantly different ground shaking and damage.One of the critical factors is that whether the large slip was generated near the ground surface.In this article,we reviewed two aspects that are important on this regard,shallow slip deficit and nucleation depth.Understanding how shallow future earthquakes may nucleate in particular regions,such as shale gas fields,is critical for hazard assessment.Whether or not a strong earthquake may slip significantly at shallow depths(less than 3 km)plays crucial rules in seismic hazard preparation and should be further investigated by integrating high-resolution fault zone observations,dynamic rupture simulation,and fault zone properties.Moreover,precisely resolving shallow depth and slip distribution of earthquakes demands InSAR and/or other image data that can better capture the near-fault deformation to constrain the source parameters of earthquakes.

Shallow Structure of the Crust in the Sulu-Dabie Region,China and its Seismotectonic Implication

The P-wave velocity structure in the shallow crust is investigated in and around the Sulu-Dabie region by using seismic reflection data for deep soundings in 48 survey profiles and from rock velocity determinations.The observed velocity distributions show obvious heterogeneities in this region.The low velocity anomalies are observed mainly in the west of the Dabie region and the East Sea regions.The high velocity anomalies emerge in the shallow crust of the Sulu and Dabie orogeny.These high-velocity anomalies can be attributed to the ultra-high pressure metamorphosed(UHPM)rock formed by exhumation motion of mantle materials during the orogeny.The high-velocity anomalies in the different shallow layers beneath the Sulu region are located to the northeast of the Tan-Lu fault.The high-velocity anomalies beneath the Dabie region are located southwest of the Tan-Lu fault.Such a distribution pattern of velocity anomaly zones may reveal historical motion of a left-lateral strike-slip for the Tan-Lu fault,which differs from the result of a right-lateral strike-slip motion regime known from modern seismology,indicating a more complex tectonic motion along the Tan-Lu fault.

Study on shallow structural features in Changbaishan Tianchi volcanic region

A seismic survey by 10 shallow profiles and 6 ultra-shallow profiles was performed in Changbaishan Tianchi volcanic region in 2002. The result shows that there are three （in some areas as many as seven） stable interfaces in the survey region, but no reflection phases are found in depths greater than 500 m. The number of interfaces in the southwestern part is obviously greater than in the northwestern part of Tianchi volcano, which suggests that the faults in the southwest have a stronger controlling power over the flow direction of volcano-spewed lava as compared with those in the northwest. Six shallow faults exist in the survey region. The shallow faults are nearly vertical graben-like faults and are mostly distributed on the southwest of Tianchi crater, indicating that volcanic activities in the southwest are stronger than in the northwest. On this ground, it could be further deduced that the NE-trending major fault of Tianchi volcano （ the Liudaogou-Tianchi-Zengfengshan fault） is more active than the NW-trending Baishanzhen-Tianchi-Jince fault.