ABSTRACT Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology is an emerging field of seismic sensing that enables recording ambient noise seismic data along the entire length of a fiber-optic cable at meter-scale resolution. Such a dense spatial resolution of recordings over long distances has not been possible using traditional methods because of limited hardware resources and logistical concerns in an urban environment. The low spatial resolution of traditional passive seismic acquisition techniques has limited the accuracy of the previously generated velocity profiles in many important urban regions, including the Reno-area basin, to the top 100 m of the underlying subsurface. Applying the method of seismic interferometry to ambient noise strain rate data obtained from a dark-fiber cable allows for generating noise cross correlations, which can be used to infer shallow and deep subsurface properties and basin geometry. We gathered DAS ambient noise seismic data for this study using a 12 km portion of a dark-fiber line in Reno, Nevada. We used gathered data to generate and invert dispersion curves to estimate the near-surface shear-wave velocity structure. Comparing the generated velocity profiles with previous regional studies shows good agreement in determining the average depth to bedrock and velocity variations in the analyzed domain. A synthetic experiment is also performed to verify the proposed framework further and better understand the effect of the infrastructural cover along the cable. The results obtained from this research provide insight into the application of DAS using dark-fiber lines in subsurface characterization in urban environments. It also discusses the potential effects of the conduit that covers such permanent fiber installations on the produced inversion results.
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Passive processing of active nodal seismic data: estimation of <i>V</i><sub>P</sub>∕<i>V</i><sub>S</sub> ratios to characterize structure and hydrology of an alpine valley infill
Abstract. The advent of cable-free nodal arrays for conventional seismic reflection and refraction experiments is changing the acquisition style for active-source surveys. Instead of triggering short recording windows for each shot, the nodes are continuously recording over the entire acquisition period from the first to the last shot. The main benefit is a significant increase in geometrical and logistical flexibility. As a by-product, a significant amount of continuous data might also be collected. These data can be analyzed with passive seismic methods and therefore offer the possibility to complement subsurface characterization at marginal additional cost. We present data and results from a 2.4 km long active-source profile, which have recently been acquired in western Colorado (US) to characterize the structure and sedimentary infill of an over-deepened alpine valley. We show how the “leftover” passive data from the active-source acquisition can be processed towards a shear wave velocity model with seismic interferometry. The shear wave velocity model supports the structural interpretation of the active P-wave data, and the P-to-S-wave velocity ratio provides new insights into the nature and hydrological properties of the sedimentary infill. We discuss the benefits and limitations of our workflow and conclude with recommendations for the acquisition and processing of similar datasets.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1849623
- PAR ID:
- 10352141
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Solid Earth
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 1869-9529
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1337 to 1354
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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