Urban near-surface imaging from ambient noise tomography using dense seismic networks

Abstract

It is of scientific and engineering significance to extract surface wave signals from urban ambient noise for fine-scale three-dimensional velocity structure imaging of underground medium. A series of issues such as ambient noise characteristics in urban environment, observation system design and resolution of small-scale imaging, have put forward a lot of new requirements and challenges to traditional methods and technologies. We utilized the dense array with its aperture extend below hundred meters in Hangzhou urban area, to carry out the ambient noise data acquisition experiments within one day. Based on the time-frequency analysis of noise cross-correlations, we conducted surface wave travel time tomography. Finally, the phase velocity slices were inverted to build a three-dimensional S-wave velocity structure, and the profiles were compared with the drilling data for validations. We concluded that these geometry and processing parameters adopted in the urban environment are feasible for near-surface tomography and can meet the demands of three-dimensional geological survey in cities efficiently.