• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.41-49
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• 2006

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using shallow S-wave, high-resolution seismic reflection surveys to characterize geological structure and stratigraphy of basement rocks for civil engineering purposes. S-wave seismic reflections from depths less than 20 m were recorded along the top of steep readout slopes. Seismic reflection data were recorded using a standard CDP acquisition method with a 24-channel seismograph and a sledge-hammer SH-wave source. The data were acquired using a split-spread source-receiver geometry with a 2 m shot-and-receiver interval, and then were processed to enhance S/N ratio of the data, to improve resolvable power of the seismic section, and to get velocity information of the basement rock. The final seismic reflection profiles using the CDP technique has imaged surfaces as shallow as less than 1m and resolved beds as thin as 1m. The migrated reflection sections possess sufficient quality to correlate the prominent reflection events to the bedding planes and faults identified on the readout outcrops. Similar S-wave reflection surveys could also be used to produce the necessary details of a geological structure of shallow bedrocks to pinpoint optimum locations for monitor wells of civil engineering purposes.