Joint inversion of Rayleigh group and phase velocities for S-wave velocity structure of the 2021 M_(S)6.0 Luxian earthquake source area,China

On September 16,2021,a MS6.0 earthquake struck Luxian County,one of the shale gas blocks in the Southeastern Sichuan Basin,China.To understand the seismogenic environment and its mechanism,we inverted a fine three-dimensional S-wave velocity model from ambient noise tomography using data from a newly deployed dense seismic array around the epicenter,by extracting and jointly inverting the Rayleigh phase and group velocities in the period of 1.6–7.2 s.The results showed that the velocity model varied significantly beneath different geological units.The Yujiasi syncline is characterized by low velocity at depths of~3.0–4.0 km,corresponding to the stable sedimentary layer in the Sichuan Basin.The eastern and western branches of the Huayingshan fault belt generally exhibit high velocities in the NE-SW direction,with a few local low-velocity zones.The Luxian MS6.0 earthquake epicenter is located at the boundary between the high-and low-velocity zones,and the earthquake sequences expand eastward from the epicenter at depths of 3.0–5.0 km.Integrated with the velocity variations around the epicenter,distribution of aftershock sequences,and focal mechanism solution,it is speculated that the seismogenic mechanism of the main shock might be interpreted as the reactivation of pre-existing faults by hydraulic fracturing.

3D S-wave velocity structure of the Ningdu basin in Jiangxi province inferred from ambient noise tomography with dense array

The Ningdu basin,located in southern Jiangxi province of southwest China,is one of the Mesozoic basin groups which has exploration prospects for geothermal energy.A study on the detailed velocity structure of the Ningdu basin can provide important information for geothermal resource exploration.In this study,we deployed a dense seismic array in the Ningdu basin to investigate the 3D velocity structure and discuss implications for geothermal exploration and geological evolution.Based on the dense seismic array including 35 short-period(5 s-100 Hz)seismometers with an average interstation distance of~5 km,Rayleigh surface wave dispersion curves were extracted from the continuous ambient noise data for surface wave tomographic inversion.Group velocity tomography was conducted and the 3D S-wave velocity structure was inverted by the neighborhood algorithm.The results revealed obvious low-velocity anomalies in the center of the basin,consistent with the low-velocity Cretaceous sedimentary rocks.The basement and basin-controlling fault can also be depicted by the S-wave velocity anomalies.The obvious seismic interface is about 2 km depth in the basin center and decreases to 700 m depth near the basin boundary,suggesting spatial thickness variations of the Cretaceous sediment.The fault features of the S-wave velocity profile coincide with the geological cognition of the western boundary basincontrolling fault,which may provide possible upwelling channels for geothermal fluid.This study suggests that seismic tomography with a dense array is an effective method and can play an important role in the detailed investigations of sedimentary basins.

Rock critical porosity inversion and S-wave velocity prediction

A critical porosity model is often used to calculate the dry frame elastic modulus by the rock critical porosity value which is affected by many factors. In practice it is hard for us to obtain an accurate critical porosity value and we can generally take only an empirical critical porosity value which often causes errors. In this paper, we propose a method to obtain the rock critical porosity value by inverting P-wave velocity and applying it to predict S-wave velocity. The applications of experiment and log data both show that the critical porosity inversion method can reduce the uncertainty resulting from using an empirical value in the past and provide the accurate critical porosity value for predicting S-wave velocity which significantly improves the prediction accuracy.

The bound weighted average method(BWAM)for predicting S-wave velocity

The shear-wave velocity is a very important parameter in oil and gas seismic exploration, and vital in prestack elastic-parameters inversion and seismic attribute analysis. However, sheafing-velocity logging is seldom carried out because it is expensive. This paper presents a simple method for predicting S-wave velocity which covers the basic factors that influence seismic wave propagation velocity in rocks. The elastic modulus of a rock is expressed here as a weighted arithmetic average between Voigt and Reuss bounds, where the weighting factor, w, is a measurement of the geometric details of the pore space and mineral grains. The S-wave velocity can be estimated from w, which is derived from the P-wave modulus. The method is applied to process well-logging data for a carbonate reservoir in Sichuan Basin, and shows the predicted S-wave velocities agree well with the measured S-wave velocities.

Estimation of Shallow S-Wave Velocity Structure of Two Practical Sites from Microtremors Array Observation in Tangshan Area

Microtremors array observation for estimating S-wave velocity structure from phase velocities of Rayleigh and Love wave on two practical sites in Tangshan area by a China-US joint group are researched.The phase velocities of Rayleigh wave are estimated from vertical component records and those of Love wave are estimated from three-component records of microtremors array using modified spatial auto-correlation method.Haskell matrix method is used in calculating Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocities,and the shallow S-wave velocity structure of two practical sites are estimated by means of a hybrid approach of Genetic Algorithm and Simplex.The results are compared with the PS logging data of the two sites,showing it is feasible to estimate the shallow S-wave velocity structure of practical site from the observation of microtremor array.

Estimation of S-wave Velocity for Gas Hydrate Reservoir in the Shenhu Area,North South China Sea

Estimation of S-wave velocity using logging data has mainly been performed for sandstone, mudstone and oil and gas strata, while its application to hydrate reservoirs has been largely overlooked. In this paper we present petxophysical methods to estimate the S-wave velocity of hydrate reservoirs with the P-wave velocity and the density as constraints. The three models used in this paper are an equivalent model （MBGL）, a three-phase model （TPBE）, and a thermo-elasticity model （TEM）. The MBGL model can effectively describe the internal relationship among the components of the rock, and the estimated P-wave velocities are in good agreement with the measured data （2.8% error）. However, in the TPBE model, the solid, liquid and gas phases axe considered to be independent of each other, and the estimation results are relatively low （46.6% error）. The TEM model is based on the sensitivity of the gas hydrate to temperature and pressure, and the accuracy of the estimation results is also high （3.6% error）. Before the estimation, the occurrence patterns of hydrates in the Shenhu area were examined, and occurrence state one （the hydrate is in solid form in the reservoir） was selected for analysis. By using the known P-wave velocity and density as constraints, a reasonable S-wave velocity value （ranging from 400 to 1100 m s 1 and for a hydrate layer of 1100 m s 1） can be obtained through multiple iterations. These methods and results provide new data and technical support for further research on hydrates and other geological features in the Shenhu area.

Mapping crustal S-wave velocity structure with SV-component receiver function method

In this article, we analyze the characters of SV-component receiver function of teleseismic body waves and its advantages in mapping the S-wave velocity structure of crust in detail. Similar to radial receiver function, SV-component receiver function can be obtained by directly deconvolving the P-component from the SV-component of teleseismic recordings. Our analyses indicate that the change of amplitude of SV-component receiver function against the change of epicentral distance is less than that of radial receiver function. Moreover, the waveform of SV-component receiver function is simpler than the radial receiver function and gives prominence to the PS converted phases that are the most sensitive to the shear wave velocity structure in the inversion. The synthetic tests show that the convergence of SV-component receiver function inversion is faster than that of the radial receiver function inversion. As an example, we investigate the S-wave velocity structure beneath HIA sta-tion by using the SV-component receiver function inversion method.

Effect of source parameters on forward-directivity velocity pulse for vertical strike slip fault in half space

It has been found that the large velocity pulse is one of the most important characteristics of near-fault strong ground motions. Some statistical relationships between pulse period and the moment magnitude for near-fault strong ground motions have been established by Somerville （1998）; Alavi and Krawinkler （2000）; and Mavroeidis and Papageorgiou （2003）, where no variety of rupture velocity, fault depth, and fault distance, etc. were considered. Since near-fault ground motions are significantly influenced by the rupture process and source parameters, the effects of some source parameters on the amplitude and the period ofa forward-directivity velocity pulse in a half space are analyzed by the finite difference method combined with the kinematic source model in this paper. The study shows that the rupture velocity, fault depth, position of the initial rupture point and distribution of asperities are the most important parameters to the velocity pulse. Generally, the pulse period decreases and the pulse amplitude increases as the rupture velocity increases for shallow crustal earthquakes. In a definite region besides the fault trace, the pulse period increases as the fault depth increases. For a uniform strike slip fault, rupture initiating from one end of a fault and propagating to the other always generates a higher pulse amplitude and longer pulse period than in other cases.

Double-difference tomography of P- and S-wave velocity structure beneath the western part of Java, Indonesia

West Java in the western part of the Sunda Arc has a relatively high seismicity due to subduction activity and faults.In this study,double-difference tomography was used to obtain the 3D velocity tomograms of P and S waves beneath the western part of Java.To infer the geometry of the structure beneath the study area,precise earthquake hypo・center determination was first performed before tomographic imaging.For this,earthquake waveform data were extracted from the regional Meteorological,Climatological,Geophysical Agency(BMKG)network of Indonesia from South Sumatra to Central Java.The P and S arrival times for about 1,000 events in the period April 2009 to July 2016 were selected,the key features being events of magnitude>3,azimuthal gap<210°and number of phases>8.A nonlinear method using the oct-tree sampling algorithm from the NonLinLoc program was employed to determine the earthquake hypocenters.The hypocenter locations were then relocated using double-difference tomography(tomoDD).A significant reduction of travel-time(root mean square basis)and a better clustering of earthquakes were achieved which correlated well with the geological structure in West Java.Double-difference tomography was found to give a clear velocity structure,especially beneath the volcanic arc area,i.e.,under Mt Anak Krakatau,Mt Salak and the mountains complex in the southern part of West Java.Low velocity anomalies for the P and S waves as well as the vp/vs ratio below the volcanoes indicated possible partial melting of the upper mantle which ascended from the subducted slab beneath the volcanic arc.

S-wave velocity structure in Tangshan earthquake region and its adjacent areas from joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion

Using the seismic records of 83 temporary and 17 permanent broadband seismic stations deployed in Tangshan earthquake region and its adjacent areas(39°N–41.5°N,115.5°E–119.5°E),we conducted a nonlinear joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion.We obtained some detailed information about the Tangshan earthquake region and its adjacent areas,including sedimentary thickness,Moho depth,and crustal and upper mantle S-wave velocity.Meanwhile,we also obtained the vP/vS structure along two sections across the Tangshan region.The results show that:(1)the Moho depth ranges from 30 km to 38 km,and it becomes shallower from Yanshan uplift area to North China basin;(2)the thickness of sedimentary layer ranges from 0 km to 3 km,and it thickens from Yanshan uplift region to North China basin;(3)the S-wave velocity structure shows that the velocity distribution of the upper crust has obvious correlation with the surface geological structure,while the velocity characteristics of the middle and lower crust are opposite to that of the upper crust.Compared with the upper crust,the heterogeneity of the middle and lower crust is more obvious;(4)the discontinuity of Moho on the two sides of Tangshan fault suggests that Tangshan fault cut the whole crust,and the low vS and high vP/vS beneath the Tangshan earthquake region may reflect the invasion of mantle thermal material through Tangshan fault.

Active source monitoring at the Wenchuan fault zone:coseismic velocity change associated with aftershock event and its implication

With the improvement of seismic observation system, more and more observations indicate that earthquakes may cause seismic velocity change. However, the amplitude and spatial distribution of the velocity variation remains a controversial issue. Recent active source monitoring carried out adjacent to Wenchuan Fault Scientific Drilling （WFSD） revealed unambiguous coseismic velocity change associated with a local M8 5.5 earthquake. Here, we carry out forward modeling using two-dimensional spectral element method to further investigate the amplitude and spatial distribution of observed velocity change. The model is well constrained by results from seismic reflection and WFSD coring. Our model strongly suggests that the observed coseismic velocity change is localized within the fault zone with width of ~ 120 m rather than dynamic strong ground shaking. And a velocity decrease of -2.0 % within the fault zone is required to fit the observed travel time delay distribution, which coincides with rock mechanical experiment and theoretical modeling.

The shallow Longmenshan crustal S-velocity structure of the fault zone using ambient noise tomography of a seismic dense array

The Longmenshan fault zone(LMSF),characterized by complex structures and strong seismicity,is located at the junction between the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and the north-western Sichuan basin.Since the Wenchuan earthquake on May 12,2008,abundant studies of the formation mechanism of earthquakes along the LMSF were performed.In this study,a short-period dense seismic array deployed across the LMSF was applied by ambient noise tomography.Fifty-two 3-D seismic instruments were used for data acquisition for 26 days.We calculated the empirical Green's functions(EGFs)between different station-pairs and extracted 776 Rayleigh-wave dispersion curves between 2 and 7 s.And then,we used the direct-inversion method to obtain the fine shallow crustal S-wave velocity structure within 6 km depth in the middle section of the Longmenshan fault zone and nearby areas.Our results show that the sedimentary layer(>5 km)exists in the northwest margin of Sichuan Basin with a low S-wave velocity(~1.5-2.5 km/s)which is much thicker than that beneath the Longmenshan fault zone and the Songpan-Garze block.The high-velocity structures with clear boundaries below the middle of Longmenshan fault zone(~2-4 km)and the Songpan-Garze block(~4.5-6 km)probably reveal the NW-SE distribution patterns of both the Pengguan complex and the high-density belt hidden in the northwest of the Pengguan complex.And the obviously high-velocity anomalies observed at the depth of^1-2 km in the southeastern margin of the Songpan-Garze block can be considered as the Laojungou granites.Our results provide a high-resolution shallow velocity structure for detailed studies of the Longmenshan fault zone.

Problems and Solutions of Velocity Modeling in Natural Gas Exploration

Recently, velocity prediction and modeling have been focus of the geophysical exploration in the high temperature and high pressure of the south China sea area, especially for new offshore exploratory areas. The error is large with great difficulty owing to fewer exploratory wells and misunderstanding. Firstly, on the basis of three typical velocity prediction and modeling examples in Ying-Qiong basin, it’s easy to put forward the corresponding not common but urgent problem in each instance, then combined with the velocity problem and misunderstanding to expand method discussion and solution, which include geological model to guide the velocity interpretation and analysis, the establishment of forward velocity of the auxiliary model explaining and constructing high precision velocity model. This research basically solves existing velocity problems in gas exploration of south China sea in recent years, and proposes corresponding solution and application, which is of great significance to the further exploration and productive practice.

正向泵站前池水沙两相流流态及其对开机组合的响应机制

泵站前池中存在复杂的水沙两相流结构,开机组合方式对水流流态与悬移质泥沙运动规律的影响尚不明确。针对该问题,该研究采用Mixture多相流理论和Realizable k-ε紊流模型,模拟不同开机组合条件下的泵站前池水沙运动,分析前池内各个漩涡流区域特征及其形成机理,预测泥沙淤积范围,同时利用多普勒流速剖面仪(acoustic doppler current profilers)等仪器对前池内流速与泥沙淤积进行测量,验证数值模拟结果。在此基础上,分析了典型正向前池泵站5组不同开机组合下的两相流流态,结果表明:前池内漩涡区域致使悬移质泥沙向正向前池边壁区域运移,漩涡流速下沉加速悬移质泥沙沉降;已经形成的泥沙淤积体对泵口流态影响存在明显空间异质性,中间区域水泵受影响程度低于两侧水泵,开机组合工况优化大幅减小了水流偏流角度(比原工况减少了3.35°),提高了前池流速均匀度(提高了了5.84个百分点),降低了前池内泥沙含量(减少了58.60%)。研究成果可为抑制漩涡区域与泥沙淤积对正向泵站前池的危害和泵站优化运行提供理论支撑。

Numerical study of forward smoldering combustionof polyurethane foam

A two-dimensional and two-phase numerical model is presented for the smolder propagation in a horizontal polyurethane foam. The chemical processes considered include endothermic pyrolysis and exotherrnic oxidation degradation of polyurethane foam and exothermic oxidation of char. The governing equations are discretized in space using the finite element method and solved by the software package FEMLAB. Predicted profiles of solid temperature as well as evolutions of solid compositions （including foam, char and ash） are presented at an airflow velocity of 0. 28 cm/s. The computed average smoldering velocity is 0. 021 4 cm/s, and the average maximum temperature is 644. 67 K. Based on the evolutions of solid compositions, the packed bed can be obviously divided into four zones： unreacted zone, fuel pyrolysis and oxidation zone, char oxidation zone and fuel burned-out zone. Simultaneously, the effects of inlet air velocity and fuel properties （including thermal conductivity, specific heat, density and pore diameter） are studied on the smoldering propagation. The results show that the smoldering velocity and temperature have a roughly linear increase with increasing inlet air velocity; the fuel density is the most important factor in determining smoldering propagation; radiation has a non-negligible role on the smoldering velocity for larger pore diameters of porous material. The computational results are compared with the experimental data and a general agreement is reached.

Tomographic inversion of OBS converted shear waves:case study of profile EW6 in the Dongsha area

Studies of converted S-wave data recorded on the ocean bottom seismometer(OBS)allow for the estimation of crustal S-wave velocity,from which is further derived the Vp/Vs ratio to constrain the crustal lithology and geophysical properties.Constructing a precise S-wave velocity model is important for deep structural research,and inversion of converted S-waves provides a potential solution.However,the inversion of the converted S-wave remains a weakness because of the complexity of the seismic ray path and the inconsistent conversion interface.In this study,we introduced two travel time correction methods for the S-wave velocity inversion and imaged different S-wave velocity structures in accordance with the corresponding corrected S-wave phases using seismic data of profile EW6 in the northeastern South China Sea(SCS).The two inversion models show a similar trend in velocities,and the velocity difference is<0.15 km/s(mostly in the range of 0–0.1 km/s),indicating the accuracy of the two travel time correction methods and the reliability of the inversion results.According to simulations of seismic ray tracing based on different models,the velocity of sediments is the primary influencing factor in ray tracing for S-wave phases.If the sedimentary layer has high velocities,the near offset crustal S-wave refractions cannot be traced.In contrast,the ray tracing of Moho S-wave reflections was not significantly impacted by the velocity of the sediments.The two travel time correction methods have their own advantages,and the application of different approaches is based on additional requirements.These works provide an important reference for future improvements in converted S-wave research.

“断层阴影”识别与校正方法——以松辽盆地升平构造为例

地层错断往往引起速度横向突变,导致在时间域地震资料中出现“断层阴影”现象,影响地质解释结果及圈闭评价等。为此,以松辽盆地升平构造为例,分析“断层阴影”现象,提出了正演模拟法、井震结合地层对比法和平均速度成图法三种识别方法;在此基础上,针对“断层阴影”,提出了高精度速度场校正和时间域层位校正两种校正方法。结果表明,高精度速度场校正法可以实现数据体的校正,适应性更广;时间域层位校正法可以实现层位的校正,具有快速、简便的优势。该方法对类似地区具有借鉴意义。

Seismogenic model of the 2023 M_(W)5.5 Pingyuan earthquake in North China Plain and its tectonic implications

The 6 August 2023 M_(W)5.5 Pingyuan earthquake is the largest earthquake in the central North China Plain(NCP)over the past two decades.Due to the thick sedimentary cover,no corresponding active faults have been reported yet in the epicenter area.Thus,this earthquake presents a unique opportunity to delve into the buried active faults beneath the NCP.By integrating strong ground motion records,high-precision aftershock sequence relocation,and focal mechanism solutions,we gain insights into the seismotectonics of the Pingyuan earthquake.The aftershocks are clustered at depths ranging from 15 to 20 km and delineate a NE-SW trend,consistent with the distribution of ground motion records.A NE-SW nodal plane(226°)of the focal mechanism solutions is also derived from regional waveform inversion,suggesting that the mainshock was dominated by strike-slip motion with minor normal faulting component.Integrating regional geological data,we propose that an unrecognized fault between the NE-SW trending Gaotang and Lingxian-Yangxin faults is the seismogenic fault of this event.Based on the S-wave velocity structure beneath the NCP,this fault probably extends into the lower crust with a high angle.Considering the tectonic regime and stress state,we speculate that the interplay of shear strain between the Amurian and South China blocks and the hot upwelling magma from the subducted paleo Pacific flat slab significantly contributed to the generation of the Pingyuan earthquake.

多信息融合解释技术在复杂构造带成像中的应用

吐哈盆地火焰山构造带是晚燕山—喜山期造山运动形成的逆冲断裂控制的近东西走向的正向构造带,山体区地表起伏大,表层结构复杂,断层上下盘速度差异大,地下地质结构复杂。这种“双复杂”的地质特征导致地震资料信噪比低、成像品质差、深度偏移归位不准确,难以准确落实地下构造形态,严重制约研究区地震勘探和综合地质研究的进程。为提高研究区地震资料的信噪比及成像品质,首先以断层相关褶皱理论为指导,通过精细的解译地质露头资料,确定研究区的构造样式;其次,对浅表层砾岩进行精细刻画,通过确定火焰山两翼砾岩边界,明确浅层速度异常体发育范围,构建浅表层速度模型;第三,利用钻井及测井资料,详细分析研究区中深层纵向及横向速度变化规律,建立整体速度模型;第四,利用速度模型进行正演模拟,经过多轮次迭代验证,使得正演剖面与地震剖面达到最大趋同,进而获得最接近真实构造的地震资料。多信息融合解释技术的应用提高了火焰山地区地震资料成像品质,为进一步开展油气勘探奠定了数据基础,也为具有相似复杂构造特征地区的处理解释提供了技术参考。

Forward modeling to improve seismic reflection energy of a protective coal seam based on Zoeppritz equation

In seismic exploration for coal, seismic waves are very difficult to transmit downward because of high velocity protective layers, making the reflection information very hard to receive above ground. Based on the Snell law and the Zoeppritz equation, we studied the relationship between the incidence angle and reflection seismic wave energy using a forward model of level media. The result shows that the seismic wave energy has a sudden increase at the critical angle. Based on the energy propagation rule, using big offset to receive the seismic wave energy under a protective layer can effectively reduce its protection effect.