ALBERT

Description: 〈span〉〈div〉ABSTRACT〈/div〉We deployed a newly developed 3C microelectromechanical system-based seismic land streamer over porous glacial sediments to delineate water table and bedrock in Southwestern Finland. The seismic source used was a 500 kg vertical impact drop hammer. We analyzed the SH-wave component and interpreted it together with previously analyzed P-wave component data. In addition to this, we examined the land streamer’s potential for multichannel analysis of surface waves and delineated the site’s stratigraphy with surface-wave-derived S-wave velocities and VP/VS ratios along the entire profile. These S-wave velocities and VP/VS ratios complement the interpretation conducted previously on P-wave stacked section. Peculiarly, although the seismic source used is of a vertical-type nature, the data inspection indicated clear bedrock reflection on the horizontal components, particularly the transverse component. This observation led us to scrutinize the horizontal component data through side-by-side inspection of the shot records of all the three components and particle motion analysis to confirm the S-wave nature of the reflection. Using the apparent moveout velocity of the reflection, as well as the known depth to bedrock based on drilling, we used finite-difference synthetic modeling to further verify its nature. Compared with the P-wave seismic section, bedrock is relatively well delineated on the transverse component S-wave section. Some structures connected to the kettle holes and other stratigraphic units imaged on the P-wave results were also notable on the S-wave section, and particularly on the surface-wave derived S-wave velocity model and VP/VS ratios. Our results indicate that P-, SV-, and SH-wave energy is generated simultaneously at the source location itself. This study demonstrates the potential of 3C seismic for characterization and delineation of the near-surface seismics.〈/span〉

Description: Full-waveform inversion (FWI) is an iterative optimization technique that provides high-resolution models of subsurface properties. Frequency-domain, acoustic FWI was applied to seismic data acquired over a known quick-clay landslide scar in southwest Sweden. We inverted data from three 2-D seismic profiles, 261–572 m long, two of them shot with small charges of dynamite and one with a sledgehammer. To our best knowledge this is the first published application of FWI to sledgehammer data. Both sources provided data suitable for waveform inversion, the sledgehammer data containing even wider frequency spectrum. Inversion was performed for frequency groups between 27.5 and 43.1 Hz for the explosive data and 27.5–51.0 Hz for the sledgehammer. The lowest inverted frequency was limited by the resonance frequency of the standard 28-Hz geophones used in the survey. High-velocity granitic bedrock in the area is undulated and very shallow (15–100 m below the surface), and exhibits a large P -wave velocity contrast to the overlying normally consolidated sediments. In order to mitigate the non-linearity of the inverse problem we designed a multiscale layer-stripping inversion strategy. Obtained P -wave velocity models allowed to delineate the top of the bedrock and revealed distinct layers within the overlying sediments of clays and coarse-grained materials. Models were verified in an extensive set of validating procedures and used for pre-stack depth migration, which confirmed their robustness.

Description: We present elastic finite-difference modeling results over a geologically realistic 2D representation of the Half Mile Lake volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposit, New Brunswick, Canada. The model is constrained by geologic information from surface mapping and boreholes, whereas petrophysical properties are provided by wireline logging data acquired in two boreholes intersecting different parts of the deposit. We analyzed the P-P, P-S, S-P, and S-S responses of the lower and deep mineralized zones and assessed some compositional effects by substituting massive sulfides with gabbro properties in the model. Finite-difference modeling results predict complex scattering signature associated with the lower and deep sulfide zones. Both zones scattered back P-P, P-S, S-P, and S-S waves generally having strongest amplitudes in the stratigraphy down-dip direction. The P-S, S-P, and S-S scattered waves, if properly recorded on multicomponent data, represent useful signal that could help the targeting of deep sulfide mineralization. Finite-difference simulations further reveal phase-reversals on P-P wavefields scattered at the lower and deep zones. The phase reversals are not observed for gabbro inclusions, suggesting that this signature could be used to discriminate gabbro units from sulfide mineralization. The finite-difference simulation successfully reproduces many events of the VSP data, in particular P-S and S-S events on the radial component and P-P and S-P events on the vertical component. Comparison with 3D data is rather poor and only shows weak correlation with P-P events from the lower and deep zones. Despite the poor correlation, a prestack time migrated S-P section displays an amplitude anomaly at the location of the deep zone, suggesting that S-P waves were recorded on the 3D data, although this survey was acquired with explosive sources and vertical geophones.

Description: A 3D reflection seismic survey was conducted over an area of about $$9\hbox{ \hspace{0.17em} }\hbox{ \hspace{0.17em} }{\mathrm{km}}^{2}$$ at the Kevitsa Ni-Cu-PGE (platinum group elements) orebody, northern Finland, where open-pit mining started in mid-2012. The principal objective of the survey was to image major fault and fracture zones at depth that may have an impact on the mine stability and safety. Mine planning would then take into account the geometry of these zones at Kevitsa. Processing results, using conventional prestack DMO and poststack migration methods, show gently dipping and steeply dipping reflections from depths of approximately 2 km to as shallow as 150–200 m. Many of the reflections are interpreted to originate from either fault systems or internal magmatic layering within the Kevitsa main intrusion. Further correlation between the surface seismic data and VSP data suggests that numerous faults are present in the imaged volume based upon time shifts or phase changes along horizontal to gently dipping reflections. Some of these faults cross the planned open-pit mine at depths of about 300–500 m, and are therefore critical for geotechnical planning. In terms of in-pit and near-mine exploration, the magmatic layering internal to the intrusion controls the distribution of the bulk of economic mineralization. The ability to image this magmatic layering could therefore guide future drilling, particularly by constraining the presumed lateral extents of the resource area. Exploration also will target discrete reflectors that potentially represent higher-grade sulfide mineralization.

Description: Due to high metal prices and increased difficulties in finding shallower deposits, the exploration for and exploitation of mineral resources is expected to move to greater depths. Consequently, seismic methods will become a more important tool to help unravel structures hosting mineral deposits at great depth for mine planning and exploration. These methods also can be used with varying degrees of success to directly target mineral deposits at depth. We review important contributions that have been made in developing these techniques for the mining industry with focus on four main regions: Australia, Europe, Canada, and South Africa. A wide range of case studies are covered, including some that are published in the special issue accompanying this article, from surface to borehole seismic methods, as well as petrophysical data and seismic modeling of mineral deposits. At present, high-resolution 2D surveys mostly are performed in mining areas, but there is a general increasing trend in the use of 3D seismic methods, especially in mature mining camps.

Description: The Kristineberg mining area in the western part of the Skellefte ore district is the largest base metal producer in northern Sweden and currently the subject of extensive geophysical and geologic studies aimed at constructing 3D geologic models. Seismic reflection data form the backbone of the geologic modeling in the study area. A geologic cross section close to the Kristineberg mine was used to generate synthetic seismic data using acoustic and elastic finite-difference algorithms to provide further insight about the nature of reflections and processing challenges when attempting to image the steeply dipping structures within the study area. Synthetic data suggest processing artifacts manifested themselves in the final 2D images as steeply dipping events that could be confused with reflections. Fewer artifacts are observed when the data are processed using prestack time migration. Prestack time migration also was performed on high-resolution seismic data recently collected near the Kristineberg mine and helped to image a high-amplitude, gently dipping reflection occurring stratigraphically above the extension of the deepest Kristineberg deposit. Swath 3D processing was applied to two crossing seismic lines, west of the Kristineberg mine, to provide information on the 3D geometry of an apparently flat-lying reflection observed in both of the profiles. The processing indicated that the reflection dips about 30° to the southwest and is generated at the contact between metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks, the upper part of the latter unit being the most typical stratigraphic level for the massive sulfide deposits in the Skellefte district.

Description: We have analyzed and processed a $$38\hbox{ - }{\mathrm{km}}^{2}$$ nonorthogonal 3D surface reflection seismic data in the Brunswick no. 6 area to better understand the effect of acquisition geometry on the resultant image and to provide 3D information about the main geologic structures hosting the mineralization. The 3D data were processed using a conventional prestack dip moveout (DMO) and poststack migration algorithm with special focus on refraction static corrections, velocity analysis, and DMO corrections that are important for the data recorded in crystalline environment. However, the nonorthogonal nature of the 3D data combined with its narrow-azimuth, irregular offset distributions, and 2D nature of midpoint distribution in common depth point bins resulted in a lower quality seismic image than those observed on a series of 2D seismic profiles collected in the area prior to the 3D data acquisition. 2D wavenumber spectrum of the data suggests acquisition footprint associated with the data. Most of the noise associated with the acquisition footprint manifested itself as short-length, high-amplitude shallow reflections but largely were attenuated using a dip filter running in the wavenumber domain. Various bin size and geometries were tested, and the best result was obtained using rectangular bins aligned in the orientation of the shot lines. The processing results indicated that the highly prospective and mineralized Brunswick horizon is part of a continuous reflective package that could guide future deep mineral exploration in this mining camp.

Description: In 2007, a 2D reflection seismic survey was conducted at the Kevitsa Ni-Cu-PGE (platinum group elements) deposit in northern Finland. The aims of the survey were to delineate the overall extent of the ore-bearing Kevitsa ultramafic intrusive complex, to study the seismic response of the disseminated ore deposit, to potentially find indications for new ore deposits, and to extract structural information at depth that may be associated with mineralization. In the processing sequence, specific focus was given to finding optimal CDP-line geometries for the crooked-line survey profiles and, due to highly variable bedrock velocities, to detailed velocity analysis. Our conventional processing sequence, involving prestack DMO corrections followed by poststack migration, resulted in high-quality images of the subsurface. First, the data were used to establish the shape and extent of the Kevitsa intrusion, thus providing an overall framework for future exploration in the area. In particular, the data suggest deeper, up to about 1.5 km depth, continuation of the intrusion than previously thought. Furthermore, the images reveal variable reflectivity characteristics within the intrusion from nonreflective to internally reflective. The Kevitsa deposit is located within a part of the intrusion which is associated with distinct, gently dipping reflectivity fabric down to a depth of about 1 km, spatially constrained within a restricted zone internal to the intrusion. This zone can be used as a guideline for the near-mine exploration efforts, and the reflectivity is dominantly associated with magmatic layering controlling the extent of the bulk of economic mineralization. The seismic data also reveal a complex pattern of faults, in particular a series of major fault and shear zones bracketing and crosscutting the Kevitsa intrusion as a whole. Additionally, our interpretation of the data indicates a possible shared origin of the Kevitsa intrusion and the nearby Satovaara intrusion.

Description: A 3-D model of the crustal electrical resistivity was constructed from the inversion of magnetotelluric data in the Kristineberg area, Skellefte district, the location of one of Sweden's most successful mining activities. Forward modelling of vertical magnetic transfer data supports our model which was derived from the magnetotelluric impedance only. The dominant features in the 3-D model are the strong conductors at various depth levels and resistive bodies of variable thickness occurring in the shallower subsurface. The deepest conductor, previously associated with the Skellefte crustal conductivity anomaly, is imaged in the southern part of the area as a north-dipping feature starting at ~4 km depth. Several shallow conductors are attributed to graphite in the black shales defining the contact between the metasedimentary rocks and the underlying metavolcanic rocks. Furthermore, an elongated intermediate depth conductor is possibly associated with alteration zones in the metavolcanic rocks that host the ore occurrences. The most prominent crustal resistors occur in the southern and northern part of the area, where their lateral extent on the surface coincides with the late-orogenic Revsund type intrusions. To the east, a resistive feature can be correlated to the early-orogenic Viterliden intrusion. The 3-D model is compared with two previous 2-D inversion models along two perpendicular profiles. The main electrical features are confirmed with the new model and previous uncertainties regarding 3-D effects, caused by off-profile conductors, can be better assessed in 3-D, although the resolution is lower due to a coarser model discretization. The comparison with seismic sections along two north–south profiles reveals structural correspondence between electrical features, zones of different reflectivity and geological units.