Practical Application of UAV Source in Complex Area Exploration

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV) source is a new source for shallow seismic exploration. UAV source is based upon the principle of an accelerated weight drop from a high altitude. A 5-kilogram object is carried 500 meters above the surface, controlled by special remote control equipment to free fall at the exact moment we need it, and by hitting the ground at high speed, it generates a powerful amount of seismic waves. Different from traditional seismic sources, such as explosive sources and vibroseis, UAVs are not limited by terrain and it can generate seismic waves in complex environments such as mountains and rivers, with strong flexibility. Meanwhile, it’s impact object is recyclable, so the cost per excitation is minimal. In this paper, Firstly, we analyze the frequency information of the reflected signal in the seismic record obtained by the UAV source in the actual mountainous area, and then discuss the influence of different excitation positions on the record. Finally, we obtain the reflected seismic profile of the region through seismic data processing. It has been proven that UAV source can achieve low-cost and high-quality acquisition in complex environments