Cross-correlation Of Seismic Noise Research Articles

Comparison of coseismic velocity changes estimated by cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise for earthquakes in south Korea and Japan

Ambient noise cross-correlation has been widely used to observe post-earthquake temporal velocity variations. Comparative studies are essential for assessing seismic hazards and clarifying the relationship between velocity variation and magnitude. However, very few comparative studies by earthquake magnitude have been conducted, particularly for magnitudes smaller than 6. In 2016 and 2017, southeastern Korea experienced the two most damaging earthquakes of the past 250 years: the Pohang earthquake (M 5.4) and Gyeongju earthquake (M 5.8). This study compared the coseismic velocity variations of these earthquakes with those observed in the M 7.3 Kumamoto and M 6.6 Tottori earthquakes, which occurred in Japan in 2016. In this study, the moving window cross-spectral analysis revealed different curves for bidirectional cross-correlations, a difference that has not been addressed in previous studies. This discrepancy was most likely caused by data deficiencies due to prolonged aftershocks or by instability from small-magnitude earthquakes recorded by surface seismometers in Korea. The average velocity decrease between forward and reverse order pairs correlated well with earthquake magnitude, except in the case of the Korean earthquake. Our devised measure based on aftershock activity suggests that the large decrease in the Pohang earthquake was due to non-coseismic noise in addition to instability.

3-D shallow crustal structure and offshore geothermal potential of the Aegean region of Türkiye from ambient noise tomography

The definition of the upper crustal structure is a necessary input in seismic hazard studies or in geothermal exploration projects. In this study, we use ambient noise tomography (ANT) to illuminate the 3-D crustal structure of the Aegean Region of Türkiye. The results allow us to identify tectonic control on seismic velocities and to image the shear-wave velocity (Vs) structure. In addition, our results characterize offshore-onshore geothermal potential in this region. Our data consists of 3-months of continuous ambient noise data recorded by 43 seismometers. The cross-correlation of seismic noise between station pairs was used to estimate Rayleigh wave pulses from which group velocity dispersion curves were derived. The results were used to estimate a group velocity dispersion curve for each cell in a square grid using tomography. Local dispersion curves were inverted to estimate a 1-D Vs profile for each cell. Integration of the results for all cells allowed us to build a 3-D Vs model of the studied region. Our Vs model is reliable for the upper 18 km of the crust. The Vs variations show narrow anticlines and basin-type wide synclines and sedimentary layers that correspond to the shallow crustal structure. An arc-shaped low velocity zone is identified to the west of the study area and is interpreted as a promising offshore geothermal zone. The southern coastal region of the investigated area also presents high hot fluid content in cracks and therefore has significant offshore geothermal potential. Our interpretation is in good agreement with available geophysical results and with the shallow crustal geometry reported in previous studies.

Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves based on Common Virtual Source Gathers of Seismic Ambient Noise Cross-Correlations: A Case Study at an Earth Dam in Brazil

The S-wave velocity (Vs) is a valuable parameter for assessing the mechanical properties of subsurface materials for geotechnical purposes. Seismic surface wave methods have become prominent for estimating near-surface Vs models. Researchers have proposed methods based on passive seismic signals as efficient alternatives to enhance depth of investigation, lateral resolution and reduce field effort. This study presents the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) utilizing Common Virtual Source Gathers (CVSGs) derived from seismic ambient noise cross-correlations, based on Ambient Noise Seismic Interferometry concepts. The method is applied to passive data acquired with an array of receivers at the Paranoá earth dam in Brasília, Brazil, to construct a pseudo-2D Vs image of the massif for interpretation. Our findings showcase the adopted processing flow and combination of methods as an effective approach for near-surface Vs estimation, demonstrating its usability also for large earth dam embankments.

The impact of ambient noise sources in subsurface models estimated from noise correlation waveforms

SUMMARY Cross-correlations of seismic ambient noise are frequently used to image Earth structure. Usually, tomographic studies assume that noise sources are uniformly distributed and interpret noise correlations as empirical Green’s functions. However, previous research suggests that this assumption can introduce errors in the estimated models, especially when noise correlation waveforms are inverted. In this paper, we investigate changes in subsurface models inferred from noise correlation waveforms depending on whether the noise source distribution is considered to be uniform. To this end, we set up numerical experiments that mimic a tomographic study in Southern California exploiting ambient noise generated in the Pacific Ocean. Our results show that if the distribution of noise sources is deemed uniform instead of being numerically represented in the wave simulations, the misfit of the estimated models increases. In our experiments, the model misfit increase ranges between 5 and 21 per cent, depending on the heterogeneity of the noise source distribution. This indicates that assuming uniform noise sources introduces source-dependent model errors. Since the location of noise sources may change over time, these errors are also time-dependent. In order to mitigate these errors, it is necessary to account for the noise source distribution. The spatial extent to which noise sources must be considered depends on the propagation distance of the ambient noise wavefield. If only sources near the study area are considered, model errors may arise.

Analyzing possible seismic velocity changes in Mexico City using seismic noise interferometry

The seismic response of the Mexico City basin has received plenty of attention as one of the most relevant cases of ground motion amplification. A recent study showed possible velocity variations of the deposits in both the lake bed and firm ground. A clear drop in seismic velocity was observed during the 2017.09.19 earthquake (Mw 7.1) in addition to more subtle seismic velocity changes related to seasonal temperature and precipitation. We use continuous seismic noise data recorded in a 29 broadband seismograph network in and around Mexico City to investigate Rayleigh wave group velocity structure and velocity changes. We estimate Green's functions (GF) between station pairs using seismic noise cross-correlation. An average estimate is computed for each of three five-day periods of recording. GFs are dominated by a Rayleigh pulse at low frequencies (between 0.1 and 0.2 Hz). Velocity changes are investigated through the comparison between GF's for different five-day periods. No velocity variations are observed. Station pairs separated at a distance smaller than 20 km also show some Rayleigh wave energy at higher frequencies, between 0.3 and 1.2 Hz. We repeated the analysis in a higher frequency band (up to 5 Hz) and show that again no velocity variation can be observed. In addition, we used horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios computed for both earthquake and seismic noise records to identify possible non-linear effects during the 2017 earthquake. The results showed that significant non-linear effects during that event are to be discarded. Finally, we present preliminary results of a tomography of Rayleigh wave group velocity at the center of the array. Lateral structure variations below the geotechnical zonation are significant. Our data will be useful to constrain the structure of the volcanic deposits of the Transmexican Volcanic Belt (TVB).

Using high-precision travel time extraction to detect time deviation of seismic instruments

The method of seismic ambient noise cross-correlations (NCFs) has been demonstrated to be applicable for time offset measurement, especially in evaluating instrument clocks. Continuous recording of seismic ambient noise data makes it possible to analyze the performance of seismic instruments online. However, long-term cross-correlation and stacking calculations are required to obtain accurate travel time from ambient noise, which greatly reduces the time resolution of instrument performance detection. Therefore, we propose a travel time extraction method based on time-frequency analysis, which could obtain the travel time accurately even though the NCF has a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and it is applied to the measurement of clock offsets in seismic instruments. The method combines S Transform and dictionary learning to improve the SNR of NCFs, and uses a peak extraction algorithm based on short-time Fourier transform to obtain accurate travel times. Additionally, the travel time drift of the station pair can be obtained by calculating the travel time difference between causal and acausal parts of NCFs. Using the data from ambient noise observations and the real data with time errors to verify that the proposed method can obtain accurate travel time for NCF with SNR lower than 6 and it can pick up a time offset as low as one sampling point, the detectable change is 0.046% of travel time, which is crucial for detecting weak changes in the performance of seismic instruments.

Ocean Bottom Seismometer Clock Correction using Ambient Seismic Noise

Ocean-bottom seismometers (OBSs) are equipped with seismic sensors that record acoustic and seismic events at the seafloor, which makes them suitable for investigating tectonic structures capable of generating earthquakes offshore. One critical parameter to obtain accurate earthquake locations is the absolute time of the incoming seismic signals recorded by the OBSs. It is, however, not possible to synchronize the internal clocks of the OBSs with a known reference time, given that GNSS signals are unable to reach the instrument at the sea bottom. To address this issue, here we introduce a new method to synchronize the clocks of large-scale OBS deployments. Our approach relies on the theoretical time-symmetry of time-lapse (averaged) crosscorrelations of ambient seismic noise. Deviations from symmetry are attributed to clock errors. This implies that the recovered clock errors will be obscured by lapse crosscorrelations' deviations from symmetry that are not due to clock errors. Non-uniform surface wave illumination patterns are arguably the most notable source which breaks the time symmetry. Using field data, we demonstrate that the adverse effects of non-uniform illumination patterns on the recovered clock errors can be mitigated by means of a weighted least-squares inversion that is based on station-station distances. In addition, our methodology permits the recovery of timing errors at the time of deployment of the OBSs. This error can be attributed to either: i) a wrong initial time synchronization of the OBS or ii) a timing error induced by changing temperature and pressure conditions while the OBS is sunk to the ocean floor. The methodology is implemented in an open-source Python package named OCloC, and we applied it to the OBS recordings acquired in the context of the IMAGE project in and around Reykjanes, Iceland. As expected, most OBSs suffered from clock drift. Surprisingly, we found incurred timing errors at the time of deployment for most of the OBSs.

Magma and hydrothermal sources below the northern part of Paramushir Island (Kuril Arc) inferred from ambient noise tomography

Paramushir is the northernmost island of the Kuril Arc comprising several Holocene volcanoes, of which two are presently active: Ebeko and Chikurachki. We present the first crustal-scale three-dimensional seismic shear-wave velocity model of the northern part of Paramushir derived with the use of data of 20 temporary stations operated in 2021–2022 and one permanent station. The continuous seismic data were used to obtain the Rayleigh wave dispersion curves for periods ranging from 0.5 s to 12 s through computing ambient seismic noise cross-correlation functions. Then the 3D shear wave velocity distribution was constructed by seismic tomography. The synthetic tests demonstrate that the model has sufficient resolution down to 7–10 km depth. We observe a series of low-velocity anomalies at the depths of 4–6 km below the volcano-origin Vernadsky Ridge. They may likely represent magma reservoirs that are responsible for Holocene eruptions along the ridge. These anomalies are overlain by the high-velocity anomalies associated with the rigid cover consisting of an upper-crustal granite-granodiorite body and consolidated magma intrusions. Along the eastern flank of Ebeko we reveal a thin low-velocity anomaly at a depth of ∼1 km that can be interpreted as a water-saturated layer. The contact of this layer with hot magma intrusions leads to the formation of a large amount of steam that is ejected during the frequent phreatic eruptions of Ebeko and from numerous fumaroles in the summit area. On the other hand, this layer, which is following down to the Pacific Coast, might be promising for the geothermal energy exploitation.

Continuous isolated noise sources induce repeating waves in the coda of ambient noise correlations


 Continuous excitation of isolated noise sources leads to repeating wave arrivals in cross correlations of ambient seismic noise, including throughout their coda. These waves propagate from the isolated sources. We observe this effect on correlation wavefields computed from two years of field data recorded at the Gräfenberg array in Germany and two master stations in Europe. Beamforming the correlation functions in the secondary microseism frequency band reveals repeating waves incoming from distinct directions to the West, which correspond to well-known dominant microseism source locations in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean. These emerge in addition to the expected acausal and causal correlation wavefield contributions by boundary sources, which are converging onto and diverging from the master station, respectively. Numerical simulations reproduce this observation. We first model a source repeatedly exciting a wavelet, which helps illustrate the fundamental mechanism behind repeated wave generation. Second, we model continuously acting secondary microseism sources and find good agreement with our observations. Our observations and modelling have potentially significant implications for the understanding of correlation wavefields and monitoring of relative velocity changes in particular. Velocity monitoring commonly assumes that only multiply scattered waves, originating from the master station, are present in the coda of the correlation wavefield. We show that repeating waves propagating from isolated noise sources may dominate instead, including the very late coda. Our results imply that in the presence of continously acting noise sources, which we show is the case for ordinary recordings of ocean microseisms, velocity monitoring assuming scattered waves may be adversely affected with regard to measurement technique, spatial resolution, as well as temporal resolution. We further demonstrate that the very late coda of correlation functions contains useful signal, contrary to the common sentiment that it is dominated by instrument noise.

Generating 1D depth profile of shear-wave velocity from ambient noise cross-correlation: application to Jakarta array

In the past decade, cross-correlations of ambient seismic noise have been exploited in various applications to model the shallow-to-deep structure of Earth’s interior through tomographic inversions. The stack of cross-correlations between a 2-station pair represents empirical Green’s function and comprises the information of the subsurface structure between those stations. In practice, noise correlation function (NCF) is analyzed to reconstruct surface wave group or phase velocity dispersion; then, the dispersion data is used to model shear-wave velocity (Vs). This study presents a case for temporary seismic networks deployed in the Jakarta Basin; we applied a two-step routine to obtain a representative 1D Vs profile beneath an array. First, we extracted our array’s average phase velocity dispersion based on the relationship between NCF’s spectra and the Bessel function. Then, we invert for the 1D depth profile of Vs using a transdimensional Bayesian inversion to allow for exploring a number of layers in parameterizations. We successfully generate a 1D Vs profile up to 5 km depth reflecting the regional stratigraphy of the Jakarta Basin. In general, a sedimentary basin fill covers the area reaching a depth of 650 m. We suggest that this simple routine can be undertaken for other ambient noise cross-correlation cases; such a 1D depth profile would be beneficial to be used as a reference model.

Monitoring of Groundwater in a Limestone Island Aquifer Using Ambient Seismic Noise

The limestone islands of Malta face high levels of water stress due to low rainfall over a small land area and a high population density. We investigate an innovative, cost-effective approach to groundwater monitoring in an island environment by computing auto- and cross-correlations of ambient seismic noise recorded on short-period and broadband seismic stations. While borehole readings give accurate site-specific water level data of the groundwater across the islands, this technique provides a more regional approach to quantitative groundwater monitoring. We perform the moving window cross-spectral method to determine temporal changes in seismic velocity (δv/v). Comparison of the δv/v with groundwater levels from boreholes and precipitation shows comparable patterns. We find that the variations of the δv/v from auto-correlations are more pronounced than the cross-correlation, and that short-period seismic stations are also sensitive. The δv/v signal deteriorates at longer interstation distances, presumably because paths traverse complex geology. We conclude that changes in the groundwater level found beneath very small islands, even as small as 3 km2, can be detected seismically. Low-cost, easy-to-deploy seismic stations can thus act as an additional tool for groundwater monitoring, especially in places with limited natural water reservoirs, like rivers and lakes, and infrastructure.

A look at the blind Kumamoto experiment: combining active and passive seismic observations to avoid Rayleigh-wave mode misidentification

We present our pathway through participation in the blind Kumamoto exercise, particularly the Step 1 of site characterization. The combination of passive and active seismic imaging techniques is used to image the velocity profile beneath the KUMA site. The estimation of the broadband Rayleigh wave dispersion curve is based on cross-correlations of ambient seismic noise and analysis of active seismic shots. We calculate correlations from the entire time series (only vertical components) of each seismic array after classical pre-processing of ambient noise data. Then, a passive seismic section is constructed using all available stations pairs and stacking the cross-correlation traces with similar interstation distances. The obtained passive seismic section is analyzed using a high-resolution Radon transform to obtain the dispersion image of Rayleigh waves traveling through the KUM-LL, KUM-M and KUM-SM arrays. Then, the information is merged and interpolated to obtain the final broadband dispersion curve. In addition, active source seismic data are used with the high-resolution Radon technique to constrain the model at shallow depths (< 30 m). Then, a broadband dispersion image is constructed with significant energy from 0.9 Hz to 45 Hz. The final dispersion curve is inverted using the non-linear neighborhood algorithm. Using just the fundamental mode Rayleigh wave, a first model with normal velocity variation in depth is obtained that corresponds well with the preferred model provided by the organizing committee. The addition of a mHVSR curve in a joint inversion better constrains the deeper part of the model (> 1 km). After comparison of the submitted dispersion curve to the theoretical dispersion curve for the preferred model (Step 4 of the blind test), the authors note that there was a clear misinterpretation in the fundamental mode of their submitted results, especially at frequencies higher than 5 Hz. Using both fundamental (only visible in the passive data set) and first overtones of Rayleigh waves (only visible in the active seismic data set) a refined velocity model could have been inferred, but we decided to keep our first submitted result. This detailed interpretation should be further studied as dispersion images from forward and backward hammer shots are quite different, which may indicate strong variations in the geometry and/or shear-wave velocities of the first meters of the subsurface.Graphical

Crustal velocity images of northwestern Türkiye along the North Anatolian Fault Zone from transdimensional Bayesian ambient seismic noise tomography

SUMMARY Türkiye poses a complex crustal structure and tectonic settings owing to the northward convergence of the Arabian and African plates with respect to the Anatolian and Eurasian plates. A reliable 3-D crustal structure of the unruptured segment of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in the Sea of Marmara is thus of utmost importance for seismic hazard assessments considering that the megacity Istanbul—with more than 15 million habitants—is close to this seismic gap. This study provides high-resolution shear wave velocity images of northwestern Türkiye, including the NAFZ, revealed from ambient seismic noise tomography. We extract over 20 000 Green’s functions from seismic ambient noise cross-correlations and then construct group velocity perturbation maps from the measured group delays with a transdimensional Bayesian tomographic method. We further perform an S-wave velocity inversion to image depth-varying velocity structures. Our high-resolution data allowed us to image S-wave velocities down to 15 km depth and reveal weak crustal zones along the NAFZ, as indicated by low shear wave velocities. We find a low-velocity zone along the Main Marmara Fault, linked with aseismic slip and a deep creep mode. Furthermore, we identify a high-velocity anomaly associated with the unruptured section that defines the boundaries of the locked zone in the crust, which can potentially trigger a destructive earthquake in the future.

Detection of clock errors in seismic records and estimation of time shifts for a seismic network

In the records of autonomous seismological observations occurrence of quartz watch clock drift often leads to incorrect time records. This paper presents a method for detecting such errors in a seismic station network based on the analysis of ambient seismic noise cross-correlation functions using Monte-Carlo Markov chain (MCMC) approach without using a reference signal. The proposed method was tested on the seismic data of a temporary seismic network installed on Paramushir Island in 2021-2022 for which time shifts were successfully estimated and corrections to the cross-correlation functions were made.

The Urban Underground Space beneath the Karst Basin of Guilin, China, Revealed by Ambient Seismic Noise Tomography

Abstract Detection of hidden faults and sedimentary layers in the urban subsoil is significant for the utilization of the underground space, earthquake hazard mitigation, and so forth. Guilin, located in southwest China, is well known for the development of the most typical karst landform in the world and has become an international tourist city that needs scientific planning and knowledge of the urban underground space. After collecting waveform data recorded continuously over a period of about 1.5 months by a dense array of 114 short-period seismic stations installed in and around Guilin, we adopt ambient seismic noise cross-correlation method to extract Rayleigh-wave phase velocity dispersion curves within the period range from 0.5 to 5 s and to obtain a high-resolution S-wave velocity (VS) model of the shallow crust above 9 km using surface-wave tomography. The vertical VS gradient image indicates that the sediment thickness of the Guilin Karst basin is about 1–3 km. Sedimentary layers are relatively thick between Yanshan Mountain and Haiyang Mountain, and along the Yi river valley, where karst groundwater may be abundant and used as an important option for urban water supply. Both the absolute VS velocity image and the relative VS anomaly image clearly reveal the occurrence, location, and deep extension characteristics of major faults. Longsheng–Yongfu, Nanning–Guilin, Yaoshan–Yanshan, Baishi, and Guanyang–Hengyang may be regional deep faults cutting through the upper crust at least. The evolution of the basin is mainly controlled by the steep dipping Longsheng–Yongfu and Baishi faults, and partially controlled by the gently dipping Nanning–Guilin fault in the interior of the basin. The Nanning–Guilin fault is an active and partially buried fault obliquely crossing Guilin city. Urban seismic imaging, such as the new VS tomography presented here, can play an important role in understanding tectonic and tectonic-subsidence earthquake hazards associated with these buried faults.

Pronounced Seismic Anisotropy in Kanto Sedimentary Basin: A Case Study of Using Dense Arrays, Ambient Noise Seismology, and Multi‐Modal Surface‐Wave Imaging

AbstractMetropolitan Tokyo is subject to significant seismic hazards because it is located near a triple junction of tectonic plates and because it sits atop the soft and thick sediments of the Kanto sedimentary Basin. Numerical simulations of earthquake ground motions rely on accurate velocity models of the basin elastic and anelastic structure, which remains to be improved. Here, we leverage the density of permanent stations of the Metropolitan Seismic Observation network seismic network to construct a high‐resolution radially anisotropic (VSV ≠ VSH) shear wave velocity model of the Kanto basin. We construct surface waves using ambient seismic noise cross correlations. In sedimentary structures, it is common for several surface‐wave modes to arise and to couple in time, so we use local sub‐arrays to extract the phase velocity of the fundamental mode and first overtone of Rayleigh and Love waves at short periods (1–7 s). We find that a strong and negative shear‐wave anisotropy (−5%) is confined to the upper 300 m depth range, and a strong and positive anisotropy (+5%) at greater depths. We interpret them as a result of the vertical cracks from repeated earthquake damage and sediment stratigraphy in the Kanto Basin. Because anisotropy models are not routinely used in physics‐based ground motion prediction, our study motivates the consideration of seismic anisotropy in sedimentary basins for the ground motion of future earthquakes.

Upper crustal structure at the KTB drilling site from ambient noise tomography

Summary In this study, we show results from ambient noise tomography around the KTB (Kontinentales Tiefbohrprogramm der Bundesrepublik Deutschland), a continental deep drilling site located at the western edge of the Bohemian Massif, within the Variscan belt of Europe. At the KTB site, crustal rocks have been drilled down to 9 km depth. Before the drilling activity started, several active seismic surveys had been performed to explore its surroundings during the 1980s and early 1990s, in the frame of an extensive exploration of the area aimed at unravelling the characteristics of the continental lower crust that is exposed at surface in this location. Despite the exploration campaigns held at and around the KTB drilling site, there are important targets that are worth further investigation; these are related in particular to the obduction of lower crustal units to the surface, and to the mechanism of orogenic processes in general. Here we present a new 3-D shear wave velocity model of the area from cross-correlations of ambient seismic noise. The model is obtained by a unique data set composed of 2 yr of continuous data recorded at nine 3-component temporary stations (installed from July 2012 to July 2014) located on top and around the drilling site, and together with the data from 19 permanent stations throughout the region. This paper is focusing on the upper crustal layers, and we show velocity variations at short scales that correlate well with known geological structures in the region of the KTB site, at the surface and at depth. These are used to discuss features that are less well-resolved at present.

Application of passive seismic interferometry for mapping mining waste storage facilities: A case study of Pyhäsalmi mine in Finland

Obtaining knowledge about the structural, geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions of mining waste storage facilities (e.g., tailing storage facilities, TSF) is an important task for mining waste management. From the existing applied geophysics techniques, high-resolution controlled source seismic methods are the most appropriate due to their superior spatial and depth resolution. However, the TSF areas are not often accessible for installation of seismic instruments and application of controlled source. Moreover, TSF areas in active mine sites are characterised by high-level of seismic and acoustic noise, produced by mining operations and other human activities at mine sites. In this study, we show that these problems can be addressed by utilizing passive seismic interferometry, in which cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise is used to obtain the Empirical Green's function (EGF's) of the studied medium. We used this method to evaluate seismic velocities in the TSF and in the near-surface bedrock at the site of the Pyhäsalmi underground mine in Finland. We used the ambient seismic noise recorded in two seismic experiments in the area. In the first experiment, the data were acquired in 2013 along a line 10 km long crossing the area of the underground mine. The second experiment was carried out in the TSF area in 2019. We obtained S-wave velocity models of both bedrock and the TSF by applying multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) to surface wave parts of Empirical Green's Functions (EGFs). The analysis of autocorrelation functions of passive seismic data recorded on the TSF surface allowed to us retrieve reflected arrivals from the boundaries inside the TSF. At the same time, we used amplitudes of surface wave parts of EGF's to obtain information about attenuation of surface waves in TSF. Our results show that passive seismic interferometry and interpretation of passive seismic data by different techniques can be a useful tool for inspection of TSF of active mines

Shear Velocity from Seismic Ambient Noise to Determine Crustal Structure and Re-Fitting Rock Physics Modeling in Dhafriyah and Kumaite Oil Fields

The current study aims to estimate the cortical structure of this region in Dhafriyah and Kumaite Oilfield. The cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise was applied in Anbar, Karbala, and Amarah to estimate a detailed velocity model for the sedimentary cover using data from three broadband seismic stations. Rayleigh wave dispersion curves were applied to obtain an accurate velocity model of the sedimentary cover. The results show that the crustal structure in the study area has three distinct discontinuities; the first is the discontinuity within the sedimentary cover column with a thickness around 4km (Vs 2.44km/s); the second is the basement rocks with a depth of 12km (Vs 3.17km/s), and the third is the Moho discontinuity with a depth of 46km (Vs 3.87km/s). Thus, the sedimentary thickness in the study area is around 12 km and the continental crust is around 34km. The first one, is done with using final out-puts of the velocity model of ANT (Vp, Vs, RHOB) to refitting rock physics modeling. The results show a good match with seismic cubes results may be used for prospect evaluation across different fields Dhafriyah and Kumaite, reservoir characterization, and formation evaluation.

Laterally constrained surface wave inversion

SUMMARYIn the last 15 yr, the use of surface waves retrieved from the cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise has significantly increased its applications to determine or monitor changes in the elastic properties of the Earth's interior. We designed a methodology for laterally constrained surface wave inversion based on a two-stage technique to estimate the 3-D distribution of the S-wave velocity (Vs). The first stage inverts traveltimes to estimate group or phase velocity dispersion maps and their inverse covariance matrix for different periods. The inverse covariance matrix is constructed explicitly using the ray tracing information. The inverse covariance matrix adds the lateral sensitivity of the maps to the structure, whereas the period-dependency provides sensitivity to the structure at depth. The second stage applies a nonlinear conjugate gradient scheme to estimate the 3-D distribution of S-wave velocity using the ensemble of velocity dispersion maps and their estimated inverse covariance matrix. We validate the methodology using a synthetic model. The results show an improved estimation of subsurface S-wave velocity structures compared to conventional point-wise inversion.