Seismology Basics:¶

1. Physical Understanding:¶

Understand the physics behind wave propagation¶

• Basic wave properties: amplitude, wavelength, frequency

• Elasticity, stress, and strain

• Math & Physics of Ray Propagation

• Wave solutions, Snell’s Law, ray paths, travel times, group vs. phase velocity

• decibels, signal-to-noise ratio, dynamic range

2. Measurements:¶

Get exposure to various methods in seismology, their strength and weaknesses¶

• Seismic Sources & Waves: Active vs. Passive sources, P and S waves, Seismograms, Energy partitioning

• Differences between Earthquake Seismology and Exploration Seismology

• Instrumentation:

  • Geophones

  • Broadband seismometers

  • Digitizers

3. Field Deployment¶

Understand survey design and instrument deployment.¶

• Survey Design: Networks, arrays, channel grouping, shot spacing

• Geometry: Network geometry, station spacing, spatiotemporal resolution

• Design surveys starting from a geologic target

• Instrumentation:

  • Source/Receiver Fundamentals

  • Instrument mechanics and deployment

• Other field techniques: GPS, field note-taking, compass orientation

4. Processing/Modeling¶

Get exposure to how data are processed, modelled.¶

Processing:¶

• General workflows for both active and passive seismic data

• Data formats: SEG-Y, SEED

• Metadata handling

• Active Seismic Processing:

  • Seismic Unix

  • Shot record processing

  • Static corrections

  • NMO

  • CDP stacking

• Passive Seismic Analysis:

  • H/V spectral ratio

  • Beamforming

  • Earthquake signal detection

Modeling:¶

• Understand the various ways to model and interpret data.

  • Relating seismic data to subsurface geology

5. Interpretation¶

Assimilate geologic knowledge with geophysical models¶

• Rock Properties: Think about various rock properties and how that might affect seismic waves velocity

• Combined with Geology: Explore ways to interpret seismic wave models starting with geology.