• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 1999

A traveltime tomography has been carried out by transforming electromagnetic data in frequency domain to wave-like domain. The transform uniquely relates a field satisfying a diffusion equation to an integral of the corresponding wavefield. But direct transform of frequency domain magnetic fields to wave-field domain is ill-posed problem because the kernel of the integral transform is highly damped. In this study, instead of solving such an unstable problem, it is assumed that wave-fields in transformed domain can be approximated by sum of ray series. And for further simplicity, reflection and refraction energy compared to that of direct wave is weak enough to be neglected. Then first arrival can be approximated by calculating the traveltime of direct wave only. But these assumptions are valid when the conductivity contrast between background medium and the target anomalous body is low enough. So this approach can only be applied to the models with low conductivity contrast. To verify the algorithm, traveltime calculated by this approach was compared to that of direct transform method and exact traveltime, calculated analytically, for homogeneous whole space. The error in first arrival picked by this study was less than that of direct transformation method, especially when the number of frequency samples is less than 10, or when the data are noisy. Layered earth model with varying conductivity contrasts and inclined dyke model have been successfully imaged by applying nonlinear traveltime tomography in 30 iterations within three CPU minutes on a IBM Pentium Pro 200 MHz.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.377-382
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• 2007

Several prospecting methods have been used to detect deep seated small tunnel in Korea. Tunnel interpretation of seismic method has been performed mainly by wave traveltime inversion method. But it often gives inacurate solution for the exact tunnel position because of the short distance between two measuring boreholes and picking errors of first arrivals. In this study, "error tomogram" was proposed to detect tunnel position and applied to theoretical and field dat using multi-source amplitude data.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 1998

In exploration seismology, the Kirchhoff hyperbola has been successfully used to migrate reflection seismo-grams. The mathematical basis of Kirchhoff hyperbola has not been clearly defined and understood for the application of prestack or poststack migration. The travel time from the scatterer in the subsurface to the receivers (exploding reflector model) on the surface can be a kinematic approximation of Green's function when the source is excited at position of the scatterer. If we add the travel time from the source to the scatterer in the subsurface to the travel time of exploding reflector model, we can view this travel time as a kinematic approximation of the partial derivative wavefield with respect to the velocity or the density in the subsurface. The summation of reflection seismogram along the Kirchhoff hyperbola can be evaluated as an inner product between the partial derivative wavefield and the field reflection seismogram. In addition to this kinematic interpretation of Kirchhoff hyperbola, when we extend this concept to shallow refraction seismic data, the stacking of refraction data along the straight line can be interpreted as a measurement of an inner product between the first arrival waveform of the partial derivative wavefield and the field refraction data. We evaluated the Kirchhoff hyperbola and the straight line for stacking the refraction data in terms of the first arrival waveform of the partial derivative wavefield with respect to the velocity or the density in the subsurface. This evaluation provides a firm and solid basis for the conventional Kirchhoff migration and the straight line stacking of the refraction data.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.16 no.4 s.50
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• pp.327-335
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• 2006

Three processing strategies of seismic refraction data are tested in terms of velocity and depth profiles or structures for mapping of geological discontinuities: GRM(generalized reciprocal method), GLI(generalized linear inversion), Tomography. The test data used in this study are the shot gathers reconstructed by numerical modeling for the structures of 3 planar layers(horizontal, inclined), the buried vertical fracture zones, and vertical fault zones. Tomography is shown to be very efficient for mapping of more complicated tone such as vertical fault and buried fracture zones, whereas GRM and GLI can be useful for horizontal and/or inclined layers, probably on their bases of analysis of first arrivals in travel time curves.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2003

Accurate estimation of the first arrival travel time is an essential task to obtain a high resolution velocity tomogram. Accuracy of the travel time estimation may be influenced by two factors; geological and mechanical. A serious mechanical factor is the source firing control problems. We found the control problems in the records generated by tome impulsive borehole sources. The problems are; irregular firing control and uncertainty in estimation of the absolute firing-times shown in records. Definitely, the time difference will introduce an error to the first arrival times, and accordingly; it will cause some distortion in the resulting velocity tomogram. A method to determine the firing time is suggested here. The method determines the optimum onset time by comparing the horizontal and the NMO velocity with various amount of delay time adjustment.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.09a
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• pp.132-146
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• 2000

Seismic refraction survey was performed for 10 lines along NE-SW and NW-SE directions above Nampoong gallery at Makyo-ri, Dogye, Samcheok, Kangwon-do. 48 geophones were laid in line with the interval of 1m, and a 5Kg hammer was used as a source at 5 points for each line. Data processing was done using reciprocal time method, GRM, and traveltime tomography which utilizes wavefront expansion method for forward process and STRT for inversion. The result shows that the first layer has its lower boundary between 3.49m and 8.88m. The P-wave velocity of the first and the second layer were estimated as 270${\~}$360m/s and 1550${\~}$1940m/s respectively. When the boundary of the first and second layer is smooth enough and the velocity difference is large enough, GRM has little advantage over reciprocal time method. The result of reciprocal method and traveltime tomography shows consistency. The northeast part of the boundary has syncline structure, which is similar to the topography above. This implies that the collapse of the cavities of Nampoong gallery result in the subsidence of the ground surface. The subsidence is in progress across the Youngdong railroad, therefore a proper reinforcement work is required.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 1997

This paper shows that crosshole seismic survey allows to detect even a small size of underground tunnel (about 2m$\times$2m). Such a small tunnel (e.g. infiltration tunnel) causes diffraction, as the seismic wave propagates, which results in distinctive variations of traveltime and amplitude of the first arrivals. This effect (or tunnel effect) is a typical indicator for the existence of tunnel and thereby an information about the tunnel location can be obtained. It was shown that the tunnel effect illustrated by numerical modeling (FDM) could be also observed in field measurements. The depth and shape of the tunnel were determined by a simplified processing method based on the use of amplitude variation of the first arrivals. The estimated location of the tunnel was well matched to that of the real tunnel.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 1998

Recently crosshole seismic tomography has come to be widely used especially for the civil engineering, because it can provide more detail information than any other surface method, although the resolution of tomogram will be inevitably deteriorated to some extent due to the limited wavefield aperture on the nonuniqueness of traveltime inversion. In addition, our field sites often consist of a high-velocity bed rock overlain by low-velocity rock, sometimes with a contrast of more than 45 percent, and furthermore the bed rock is folded. The first arriving waves can be then the refracted ones that travel along the bed rock surface for some source/receiver distances. Thus, the desirable first arrivals can be easily misread that cause severe distortion of the resulting tomogram, if it is concerned with (straight ray) traveltime inversion procedure. In this case, comparision with synthetic data (forward modeling) is a valuable tool in the interpretation process. Besides, abundant information is contained in the crosshole data. For instance, examination of tube waves can be devoted to detecting discontinuities within the borehole such as breakouts, faults, fractures or shear zones as well as the end of the borehole. Specific frequency characteristics of marine silty mud will help discriminate from other soft rocks. The aim of this paper is to present several strategies to analyze and interpret the crosshole data in order to improve the ability at first to determine the spatial dimensions of interwell anomalies and furthermore to understand the underground structures. To this end, our field data are demonstrated. Possibility of misreading the first arrivals was illustrated. Tube waves were investigated in conjunction with the televiewer images. Use of shot- and receiver gathers was examined to benefit the detectabilities of discontinuities within the borehole.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.125-130
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• 2006

Both surface seismic and far-offset VSP data were recorded alongtwo mutually perpendicular profiles in the Pungam basin. The first-arrival times were simultaneously inverted using the tomography method. For the surface data, seismic energy was generated by a 5-kg sledgehammer at 48 stations and detected by 21 surface geophones at 3 m intervals and one 3-component geophone in test borehole for the purpose of static corrections. For the VSP data, seismic waves generated by the sledgehammer on the ground were detected by a 3-component borehole geophone in a depth range of $9{\sim}99\;m$. Delay times of the hammer data were corrected using the seisgun data before the inversion to yield velocity tomograms. The tomograms indicates that the soil layer with velocities less than 750 m/s averages 1.8 m thick. The velocity varies from 5353 m/s at the depth range of $31{\sim}40\;m$ to 4262 m/s at the depth range of $65{\sim}73\;m$. Compared with core samples, the relatively large variation in velocity may due to lithology changes and fracture effects with depth.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.109-118
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• 2013

On and near the 23-m high earthen Cheongcheon dam in Boryeong City, Korea, short seismic refraction and surface-wave profiles were conducted using a 5-kg sledgehammer. From vertical and horizontal components of the seismic waves, near-surface P-wave velocities (${\nu}_p$) and S-wave velocities (${\nu}_s$) were derived by inverting first-arrival refraction times and dispersion curves of Rayleigh waves. Average ${\nu}_p$ and ${\nu}_s$ for the Jurassic sedimentary basement were determined to be 1650 and 950 m/s at a depth of 30 m directly beneath the dam and 1650 m/s and 940 m/s at a depth of 10 m at the toe of the dam, respectively. The dynamic Poisson's ratio for these strata were therefore in the range of 0.24 to 0.25, which is consistent with ratios for consolidated sedimentary strata. Near a 45-m borehole 152 m downstream from the dam crest, an SH tomogram indicates a refraction boundary with an average ${\nu}_s$ of 870 m/s at depths of 10 ~ 12 m. At this site, the overburden comprises the upper layer with relatively constant ${\nu}_p$ and ${\nu}_s$ around 500 and 200 m/s, respectively, and the lower layer in which both ${\nu}_p$ and ${\nu}_s$ increase with depth almost linearly. The dynamic Poisson's ratios for the overburden were in the range of 0.30 to 0.43.