• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.234-241
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• 2011

Recently, exploration and development of oil sands are thriving due to high oil price. Because oil sands reservoir usually exists as a thin layer, multicomponent VSP, which has the advantage of the high-resolution around the borehole, is more effective than surface seismic survey in exploring oil sand reservoir. In addition, prestack phase-screen migration is effective for multicomponent seismic data because it is based on an one-way wave equation. In this study, we examined the applicability of the prestack phase-screen migration for multicomponent RVSP data to image the thin oil sand reservoir. As a preprocessing tool, we presented a method for separating P-wave and PS-wave from multicomponent RVSP data by using incidence angle and rotation matrix. To verify it, we have applied the developed wavefield separation method to synthetic data obtained from the velocity model including a horizontal layer and dipping layers. Also, we compared the migrated image by using P-wave with that by using PS-wave. As a result, the PS-wave migrated image has higher resolution and wide coverage than P-wave migrated image. Finally, we have applied the prestack phase-screen migration to the synthetic data from the velocity model simulating oil sand reservoir in Canada. The results show that the PS-wave migrated image describe the top and bottom boundaries of the thin oil sand reservoir more clearly than the P-wave migrated image.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2008

Recent earthquakes near nuclear power plants in Korea have triggered public concerns about possible seismicity of the Ulsan Fault Zone in the south-eastern part of the Korean peninsula. To reveal subsurface structures of this fault zone, we conducted high-resolution seismic refraction and reflection surveys, and closely spaced gravity measurements in the Dongchon River valley north of Ulsan, Korea. Here alluvium covers the north-south trending fault zone in a 1-km wide valley. Both source points and receivers were spaced at 5-m intervals for the 24-channel seismic refraction and reflection methods, along two profiles of 835 m and 415 m length. Gravity data were also measured along these profiles at 131 stations using a 10-m interval. Synergetic interpretation of seismic refraction, high-resolution seismic reflection, and gravity surveys across the valley indicates that the Ulsan Fault Zone was formed by apparent north-south strike-slip motions during the Cretaceous, and that some faults may have been reactivated by east-west compressional or transpressional stresses during the Tertiary or Quaternary.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.78-88
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• 2021

Owing to the abnormal weather conditions due to global warming, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has attracted global attention as a countermeasure to reduce CO₂ emissions. In the Pohang CCS demonstration project in South Korea, 100 tons of CO₂ were successfully injected into the subsurface CO₂ storage in early 2017. However, after the 2017 Pohang earthquake, the Pohang CCS demonstration project was suspended due to an increase in social concerns about the safety of the CCS project. In this study, to reconfirm the structural suitability of the CO₂ storage site in the Pohang Basin, we employed seismic imaging based on reverse-time migration (RTM) to analyze small-scale ocean-bottom seismic data, which have not been utilized in previous studies. Compared with seismic images using marine streamer data, the continuity of subsurface layers in the RTM image using the ocean-bottom seismic data is improved. Based on the obtained subsurface image, we discuss the structural suitability of the Pohang CO₂ storage site.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2007

Recent seismic surveys have shown that the presence of methane hydrate (MH) in sediments has significant influence on seismic attenuation. I have used vertical seismic profile (VSP) data from a Nankai Trough exploratory well, offshore Tokai in central Japan, to estimate compressional attenuation in MH-bearing sediments at seismic frequencies of 30-110 Hz. The use of two different measurement methods (spectral ratio and centroid frequency shift methods) provides an opportunity to validate the attenuation measurements. The sensitivity of attenuation analyses to different depth intervals, borehole irregularities, and different frequency ranges was also examined to validate the stability of attenuation estimation. I found no significant compressional attenuation in MH-bearing sediments at seismic frequencies. Macroscopically, the peaks of highest attenuation in the seismic frequency range correspond to low-saturation gas zones. In contrast, high compressional attenuation zones in the sonic frequency range (10-20 kHz) are associated with the presence of methane hydrates at the same well locations. Thus, this study demonstrated the frequency-dependence of attenuation in MH-bearing sediments; MH-bearing sediments cause attenuation in the sonic frequency range rather than the seismic frequency range As a possible reason why seismic frequencies in the 30-110 Hz range were not affected in MH-bearing sediments, I point out the effect of thin layering of MH-bearing zones.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.97-114
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• 2020

Recently, many studies have been actively conducted on the application of machine learning in all branches of science and engineering. Studies applying machine learning are also rapidly increasing in all sectors of seismic exploration, including interpretation, processing, and acquisition. Among them, fault detection is a critical technology in seismic interpretation and also the most suitable area for applying machine learning. In this study, we introduced various machine learning techniques, described techniques suitable for fault detection, and discussed the reasons for their suitability. We collected papers published in renowned international journals and abstracts presented at international conferences, summarized the current status of the research by year and field, and intensively analyzed studies on fault detection using machine learning. Based on the type of input data and machine learning model, fault detection techniques were divided into seismic attribute-, image-, and raw data-based technologies; their pros and cons were also discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.100-110
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• 1999

In order to find a good seismic source for high-resolution reflection surveys on a tidal flat, characteristic features of several sources were examined through test recording by the walkaway configuration. The sources comprise portable vibrator, 1.2 kg monkey spanner, 4.7 kg sledge hammer, and weight drops with a 30 kg and a 100 kg iron ball, respectively. We analyzed raw and filtered seismic data for the resolution of individual events, then compared various seismic sources to define suitable one for the high-resolution survey in terms of energy level and frequency contents. The study reveals that the portable vibrator is the most suitable source for the detection of and imaging geologic structures less than 20-30 m deep in a tidal flat. We ascribe this to the wide frequency band and high-frequency contents of the portable vibrator. In contrast, the hammer may be an alternative where the target depth increases up to 100 m.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2008

It is very important to estimate the physical properties of survey area and delineate the geological basement in marine site survey for the design of offshore structures. For the purpose of providing high quality data by means of engineering site survey, it is necessary to apply several survey techniques and carry out the integrated interpretation to each other. In this study, we applied single channel seismic reflection method and OBC (Ocean Bottom Cable) type seismic refraction method at shallow marine. We used a dual boomer-single channel streamer as a source-receiver in seismic reflection survey and airgun source-the developed OBC type streamer in seismic refraction survey. We made 24 channels OBC type streamer which has 4m channel interval and each channel is composed of single hydrophone and preamplifier. We tested the field applicability of the proposed method and applied the typical seismic data processing methods to the obtained reflection data in order to enhance the data quality and image resolution. In order to estimate the geological velocity distribution from refraction data, seismic refraction tomography technique was applied. Therefore, we could successfully perform time-depth conversion using the velocity information as an integrated interpretation. The proposed method could provide reliable geologic information such as sediment layer thickness and 3D basement depth map.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.54-63
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• 2015

Petrophysical parameters such as porosity and fluid saturation which provide useful information for reservoir characterization could be estimated by rock physics model (RPM) using seismic velocity and resistivity. Therefore, accurate P-wave velocity and resistivity information have to be obtained for successful estimation of the petrophysical parameters. Compared with the individual inversion of electromagnetic (EM) or seismic data, the joint inversion using both EM and seismic data together can reduce the uncertainty and gives the opportunity to use the advantages of each data. Thus, more reliable petrophysical properties could be estimated through the joint inversion. In this paper, for the successful estimation of petrophysical parameters, we proposed an effective method which applies a grid-search method to find the porosity and fluid saturation. The relations of porosity and fluid saturation with P-wave velocity and resistivity were expressed by using RPM and the improved resistivity distribution used to this study was obtained by joint inversion of seismic and EM data. When the proposed method was applied to the synthetic data which were simulated for subsea reservoir exploration, reliable petrophysical parameters were obtained. The results indicate that the proposed method can be applied for detecting a reservoir and calculating the accurate oil and gas reserves.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.171-179
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• 2003

In land and marine seismic survey, we generally set receivers with equal interval suppose that sampling interval Is too narrow. But the cost of seismic data acquisition and that of data processing are much higher, therefore we should design proper receiver interval. Spatial aliasing can be occurred on seismic data when sampling interval is too coarse. If we Process spatial aliasing data, we can not obtain a good imaging result. Trace interpolation is used to improve the quality of multichannel seismic data processing. In this study, we applied the Spitz algorithm which is widely used in seismic data processing. This algorithm works well regardless of dip information of the complex underground structure. Using prediction filter and original traces with linear event we interpolated in f-x domain. We confirm our algorithm by examining for some synthetic data and marine data. After interpolation, we could find that receiver intervals get more narrow and the number of receiver is increased. We also could see that continuity of traces is more linear than before Applying this interpolation algorithm on seismic data with spatial aliasing, we may obtain a better migration imaging.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2001

Geophysical survey was carried out to derive some information on the existence of near-surface anomalous body at Reung-Chi area in Kongju. Resistivity, seismic, magnetic and gravity method were applied. Geophysical survey that was applied was the electrical resistivity survey, seismic survey, magnetic survey, gravity survey. These surveys are analyzed to provide data of high resolution. As a result of analysis of resistivity survey, anomalies showing high resistivity anomaly than around appeared, and the one showing M-shape out of those explains the possibility that underground common or other underground structure or geographical anomalous zone could exist in the underground. As a result of analysis of seismic survey, it is clear that the low velocity layer is spread as far as the bottom of the underground. It is possible to presume that it is a phenomenon appearing while going through the underground space where it is lying in the underground. Area that shows unusual situation in interpretation of data on seismic waves are included into the area that once showed resistivity anomaly, the results of both seismic surveys come in accord. As a result of magnetic survey, a circle-shape of twin magnetic fields in the area where abnormalities are shown between electrical resistivity survey and seismic survey is appeared. Given the area of gravity survey, abnormalities whose density is different from the one around the bottom of the underground. As a result of analogizing the data of underground of the subsurface based on analysis of data from each survey, it was interpreted that anomalous zone exists commonly in the research areas.