Possibility of Geotechnical Monitoring of Geohazards with The Use of Crosshole Seismic Tomography (CST)

Abstract

Summary The development of geohazards may be caused by both construction effects or operation of a structure on the subsoil (industrial intensification), and variations in the temperature, hydrogeological, tectonic and other characteristics of the ground under the influence of natural factors. The geohazards activation often has a negative impact on the condition of structures, ecosystems and leads to emergency situations, often carrying a risk to human life. Geohazards monitoring allows to make timely forecasts, to prevent accidents or minimize their damage. In this paper, we investigate the possibilities and feasibility of using crosshole seismic tomography (CST) [1–3] to monitor the condition of the subsurface. The applicability of the method is considered through numerical kinematic and full-wave modelling of seismic wave fields followed by reconstruction of the velocity sections. This study analyses several geological situations with the development of karst, suffusion, and permafrost thawing. The paper also evaluates the CST method resolution and shows its dependence on the frequency of borehole source signal.