ALBERT

Description: Numerous monitoring applications make use of seismic coda waves to evaluate velocity changes in the Earth. This raises the question of the spatial sensitivity of coda wave-based measurements. Here, we investigate the depth sensitivity of coda waves to local velocity perturbations using 2-D numerical wavefield simulations. We calculate the impulse response at the surface before and after a slight perturbation of the velocity within a thin layer at depth is introduced. We perform a parametric analysis of the observed apparent relative velocity changes, obs , versus the depth of the thin perturbed layer. Through the analysis of the decay of obs , we can discriminate two different regimes: one for a shallow perturbation and the other for a deep perturbation. We interpret the first regime as the footprint of the 1-D depth sensitivity of the fundamental surface wave mode. To interpret the second regime, we need to model the sensitivity of the multiply scattered body waves in the bulk. We show that the depth sensitivity of coda waves can be modelled as a combination of bulk wave sensitivity and surface wave sensitivity. The transition between these two regimes is governed by mode conversions due to scattering. We indicate the importance of surface waves for the sensitivity of coda waves at shallow depths and at early times in the coda. At later times, bulk waves clearly dominate the depth sensitivity and offer the possibility of monitoring changes at depths below the sensitivity of the surface waves. Based on the transition between the two regimes, we can discriminate a change that occurs at the surface from a change that occurs at depth. This is illustrated for shallow depth perturbations through an example from lunar data.

Description: 〈span〉〈div〉SUMMARY〈/div〉The Greater Geneva Basin is one of the key targets for geothermal exploration in Switzerland. Until recently, information about the subsurface structure of this region was mostly composed of well-logs, seismic reflection lines, and gravity measurements. As part of the current effort to further reduce subsurface uncertainty, and to test passive seismic methods for exploration purposes, we performed an ambient-noise tomography of the Greater Geneva Basin. We used ∼1.5 yr of continuous data collected on a temporary seismic network composed of 28 broad-band stations deployed within and around the basin. From the vertical component of the continuous noise recordings, we computed cross-correlation functions and retrieved Rayleigh-wave group-velocity dispersion curves. We then inverted the dispersion curves to obtain 2-D group-velocity maps and proceeded to a subsequent inversion step to retrieve a large-scale 3-D shear-wave velocity model of the basin. We discuss the retrieved features of the basin in the light of local geology, previously acquired geophysical data sets, and ongoing geothermal exploration. The Greater Geneva Basin is an ideal natural laboratory to test innovative geothermal exploration methods because of the substantial geophysical data sets available for comparison. While we point out the limits of ambient-noise exploration with sparse networks and current methodology, we also discuss possible ways to develop ambient-noise tomography as an affordable and efficient subsurface exploration method.〈/span〉

Description: In the context of seismic monitoring, recent studies made successful use of seismic coda waves to locate medium changes on the horizontal plane. Locating the depth of the changes, however, remains a challenge. In this paper, we use 3-D wavefield simulations to address two problems: first, we evaluate the contribution of surface- and body-wave sensitivity to a change at depth. We introduce a thin layer with a perturbed velocity at different depths and measure the apparent relative velocity changes due to this layer at different times in the coda and for different degrees of heterogeneity of the model. We show that the depth sensitivity can be modelled as a linear combination of body- and surface-wave sensitivity. The lapse-time-dependent sensitivity ratio of body waves and surface waves can be used to build 3-D sensitivity kernels for imaging purposes. Second, we compare the lapse-time behaviour in the presence of a perturbation in horizontal and vertical slabs to address, for instance, the origin of the velocity changes detected after large earthquakes.

Description: Coda-wave interferometry is a technique which exploits tiny waveform changes in the coda to detect temporal variations of seismic properties in evolving media. Observed waveform changes are of two kinds: traveltime perturbations and distortion of seismograms. In the last 10 yr, various theories have been published to relate either background velocity changes to traveltime perturbations, or changes in the scattering properties of the medium to waveform decorrelation. These theories have been limited by assumptions pertaining to the scattering process itself—in particular isotropic scattering, or to the propagation regime—single-scattering and/or diffusion. In this manuscript, we unify and extend previous results from the literature using a radiative transfer approach. This theory allows us to incorporate the effect of anisotropic scattering and to cover a broad range of propagation regimes, including the contribution of coherent, singly scattered and multiply scattered waves. Using basic physical reasoning, we show that two different sensitivity kernels are required to describe traveltime perturbations and waveform decorrelation, respectively, a distinction which has not been well appreciated so far. Previous results from the literature are recovered as limiting cases of our general approach. To evaluate numerically the sensitivity functions, we introduce an improved version of a spectral technique known as the method of ‘rotated coordinate frames’, which allows global evaluation of the Green's function of the radiative transfer equation in a finite domain. The method is validated through direct pointwise comparison with Green's functions obtained by the Monte Carlo method. To illustrate the theory, we consider a series of scattering media displaying increasing levels of scattering anisotropy and discuss the impact on the traveltime and decorrelation kernels. We also consider the related problem of imaging variations of scattering properties based on intensity perturbations observed in the coda. The impact of anisotropy is particularly pronounced for the scattering and decorrelation sensitivity kernels, which probe spatial/temporal changes in the scattering properties of the medium. Compared to the isotropic case, scattering anisotropy strongly increases the sensitivity of coda waves in the vicinity of the single-scattering ellipse, which may have important implications for imaging applications. In addition to demonstrating the impact of non-isotropic scattering on the sensitivity kernels of coda waves, our work offers a practical solution to model this process accurately.

Description: New methods are required to combine the information contained in the passive electrical and seismic signals to detect, localize and monitor hydromechanical disturbances in porous media. We propose a field experiment showing how passive seismic and electrical data can be combined together to detect a preferential flow path associated with internal erosion in a Earth dam. Continuous passive seismic and electrical (self-potential) monitoring data were recorded during a 7-d full-scale levee (earthen embankment) failure test, conducted in Booneschans, Netherlands in 2012. Spatially coherent acoustic emissions events and the development of a self-potential anomaly, associated with induced concentrated seepage and internal erosion phenomena, were identified and imaged near the downstream toe of the embankment, in an area that subsequently developed a series of concentrated water flows and sand boils, and where liquefaction of the embankment toe eventually developed. We present a new 4-D grid-search algorithm for acoustic emissions localization in both time and space, and the application of the localization results to add spatially varying constraints to time-lapse 3-D modelling of self-potential data in the terms of source current localization. Seismic signal localization results are utilized to build a set of time-invariant yet spatially varying model weights used for the inversion of the self-potential data. Results from the combination of these two passive techniques show results that are more consistent in terms of focused ground water flow with respect to visual observation on the embankment. This approach to geophysical monitoring of earthen embankments provides an improved approach for early detection and imaging of the development of embankment defects associated with concentrated seepage and internal erosion phenomena. The same approach can be used to detect various types of hydromechanical disturbances at larger scales.

Description: 〈span〉〈div〉Summary〈/div〉The Greater Geneva Basin is one of the key targets for geothermal exploration in Switzerland. Until recently, information about the subsurface structure of this region was mostly composed of well-logs, seismic reflection lines, and gravity measurements. As part of the current effort to further reduce subsurface uncertainty, and to test passive seismic methods for exploration purposes, we performed an ambient-noise tomography of the Greater Geneva Basin. We used ∼1.5 years of continuous data collected on a temporary seismic network composed of 28 broadband stations deployed within and around the basin. From the vertical component of the continuous noise recordings, we computed cross-correlation functions and retrieved Rayleigh-wave group-velocity dispersion curves. We then inverted the dispersion curves to obtain 2D group-velocity maps and proceeded to a subsequent inversion step to retrieve a large-scale 3D shear-wave velocity model of the basin. We discuss the retrieved features of the basin in the light of local geology, previously acquired geophysical datasets, and ongoing geothermal exploration. The Greater Geneva Basin is an ideal natural laboratory to test innovative geothermal exploration methods because of the substantial geophysical datasets available for comparison. While we point out the limits of ambient-noise exploration with sparse networks and current methodology, we also discuss possible ways to develop ambient-noise tomography as an affordable and efficient subsurface exploration method.〈/span〉