A Comparison of Linear-Array Surface Wave Methods at a Soft Soil Site in the Mississippi Embayment

Abstract

This paper details research aimed at comparing the three most popular lineararray surface wave methods at a soft soil site in the Mississippi Embayment. As soft, normally dispersive soil sites are typically expected to be some of the most uncomplicated for surface wave propagation, this study provides a bench mark on the variability between surface wave methods at `easy' sites. The three methods considered are: (1) Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW), (2) Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), and (3) Refraction Microtremor (ReMi). The dispersion curves and inverted shear wave velocity (V s ) profiles for each method are compared herein. The SASW and MASW V s profiles are in good agreement, with less than 8% difference throughout. However, the ReMi V s values are on average 25–35% different than the SASW and MASW V s values. One cause for this discrepancy is the inability of passive ReMi measurements to resolve high frequency (short wavelength) data at the site.