UAV source: A new economical and environmentally friendly source for seismic exploration in complex areas

Abstract

Active-source seismic exploration is a high-resolution detection method for obtaining underground information. In the past, active-source seismic exploration in certain types of complex terrains, such as mountains, forests, and rivers, had to be abandoned because of the difficulty in obtaining a suitable source. In this study, we design a seismic source based on a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) platform that can adapt to various complex conditions for seismic exploration. The principle of the UAV source is that the impact object is carried to a specified height and then released by a drop controller. Subsequently, the impact object strikes the ground to produce seismic waves. The impact object contains a vibration switch and a wireless signal transmitter that transmits the shock signal back to a GPS module to record the start time of the seismic record. We compare the UAV source at different wind speeds and flight altitudes, and results show that wind speed affects deviation from the source drop point, and flight altitude is a crucial factor that determines the energy of the source. A series of experiments in the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, China, proves that the UAV source can aid seismic exploration in complex regions, with high-quality results and very low cost.