Articles | Volume 12, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-741-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-741-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
30 Mar 2021
Research article |
| 30 Mar 2021
| 30 Mar 2021
The impact of seismic interpretation methods on the analysis of faults: a case study from the Snøhvit field, Barents Sea
Jennifer E. Cunningham
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Energy Resources, University of Stavanger, 4036 Stavanger, Norway
Equinor ASA, Forusbeen 50, 4035 Sandnes, Norway
Nestor Cardozo
Department of Energy Resources, University of Stavanger, 4036 Stavanger, Norway
Chris Townsend
Department of Energy Resources, University of Stavanger, 4036 Stavanger, Norway
Richard H. T. Callow
Equinor ASA, Forusbeen 50, 4035 Sandnes, Norway
Related subject area
Subject area: The evolving Earth surface | Editorial team: Seismics, seismology, paleoseismology, geoelectrics, and electromagnetics | Discipline: Geophysics
Seismic wave modeling of fluid-saturated fractured porous rock: including fluid pressure diffusion effects of discretely distributed large-scale fractures
Integration of automatic implicit geological modelling in deterministic geophysical inversion
Ground motion emissions due to wind turbines: observations, acoustic coupling, and attenuation relationships
Seismic amplitude response to internal heterogeneity of mass-transport deposits
Investigation of the effects of surrounding media on the distributed acoustic sensing of a helically wound fibre-optic cable with application to the New Afton deposit, British Columbia
Geophysical analysis of an area affected by subsurface dissolution – case study of an inland salt marsh in northern Thuringia, Germany
An efficient probabilistic workflow for estimating induced earthquake parameters in 3D heterogeneous media
Dynamic motion monitoring of a 3.6 km long steel rod in a borehole during cold-water injection with distributed fiber-optic sensing
On the comparison of strain measurements from fibre optics with a dense seismometer array at Etna volcano (Italy)
Integrated land and water-borne geophysical surveys shed light on the sudden drying of large karst lakes in southern Mexico
On the morphology and amplitude of 2D and 3D thermal anomalies induced by buoyancy-driven flow within and around fault zones
Characterizing a decametre-scale granitic reservoir using ground-penetrating radar and seismic methods
Upper Jurassic carbonate buildups in the Miechów Trough, southern Poland – insights from seismic data interpretations
New regional stratigraphic insights from a 3D geological model of the Nasia sub-basin, Ghana, developed for hydrogeological purposes and based on reprocessed B-field data originally collected for mineral exploration
Characterisation of subglacial water using a constrained transdimensional Bayesian transient electromagnetic inversion
Subsurface characterization of a quick-clay vulnerable area using near-surface geophysics and hydrological modelling
Electrical formation factor of clean sand from laboratory measurements and digital rock physics
Drill bit noise imaging without pilot trace, a near-surface interferometry example
Calibrating a new attenuation curve for the Dead Sea region using surface wave dispersion surveys in sites damaged by the 1927 Jericho earthquake
Shear wave reflection seismic yields subsurface dissolution and subrosion patterns: application to the Ghor Al-Haditha sinkhole site, Dead Sea, Jordan
Yingkai Qi, Xuehua Chen, Qingwei Zhao, Xin Luo, and Chunqiang Feng
Solid Earth, 15, 535–554, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-535-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-535-2024, 2024
Short summary
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Fractures tend to dominate the mechanical and hydraulic properties of porous rock and impact the scattering characteristics of passing waves. This study takes into account the poroelastic effects of fractures in numerical modeling. Our results demonstrate that scattered waves from complex fracture systems are strongly affected by the fractures.
Jérémie Giraud, Guillaume Caumon, Lachlan Grose, Vitaliy Ogarko, and Paul Cupillard
Solid Earth, 15, 63–89, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-63-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-63-2024, 2024
Short summary
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We present and test an algorithm that integrates geological modelling into deterministic geophysical inversion. This is motivated by the need to model the Earth using all available data and to reconcile the different types of measurements. We introduce the methodology and test our algorithm using two idealised scenarios. Results suggest that the method we propose is effectively capable of improving the models recovered by geophysical inversion and may be applied in real-world scenarios.
Laura Gaßner and Joachim Ritter
Solid Earth, 14, 785–803, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-785-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-785-2023, 2023
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In this work we analyze signals emitted from wind turbines. They induce sound as well as ground motion waves which propagate through the subsurface and are registered by sensitive instruments. In our data we observe when these signals are present and how strong they are. Some signals are present in ground motion and sound data, providing the opportunity to study similarities and better characterize emissions. Furthermore, we study the amplitudes with distance to improve the signal prediction.
Jonathan Ford, Angelo Camerlenghi, Francesca Zolezzi, and Marilena Calarco
Solid Earth, 14, 137–151, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-137-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-137-2023, 2023
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Submarine landslides commonly appear as low-amplitude zones in seismic data. Previous studies have attributed this to a lack of preserved internal structure. We use seismic modelling to show that an amplitude reduction can be generated even when there is still metre-scale internal structure, by simply deforming the bedding. This has implications for interpreting failure type, for core-seismic correlation and for discriminating landslides from other "transparent" phenomena such as free gas.
Sepidehalsadat Hendi, Mostafa Gorjian, Gilles Bellefleur, Christopher D. Hawkes, and Don White
Solid Earth, 14, 89–99, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-89-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-89-2023, 2023
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In this study, the modelling results are used to help understand the performance of a helically wound fibre (HWC) from a field study at the New Afton mine, British Columbia. We introduce the numerical 3D model to model strain values in HWC to design more effective HWC system. The DAS dataset at New Afton, interpreted in the context of our modelling, serves as a practical demonstration of the extreme effects of surrounding media and coupling on HWC data quality.
Sonja H. Wadas, Hermann Buness, Raphael Rochlitz, Peter Skiba, Thomas Günther, Michael Grinat, David C. Tanner, Ulrich Polom, Gerald Gabriel, and Charlotte M. Krawczyk
Solid Earth, 13, 1673–1696, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1673-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1673-2022, 2022
Short summary
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The dissolution of rocks poses a severe hazard because it can cause subsidence and sinkhole formation. Based on results from our study area in Thuringia, Germany, using P- and SH-wave reflection seismics, electrical resistivity and electromagnetic methods, and gravimetry, we develop a geophysical investigation workflow. This workflow enables identifying the initial triggers of subsurface dissolution and its control factors, such as structural constraints, fluid pathways, and mass movement.
La Ode Marzujriban Masfara, Thomas Cullison, and Cornelis Weemstra
Solid Earth, 13, 1309–1325, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1309-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1309-2022, 2022
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Induced earthquakes are natural phenomena in which the events are associated with human activities. Although the magnitudes of these events are mostly smaller than tectonic events, in some cases, the magnitudes can be high enough to damage buildings near the event's location. To study these (high-magnitude) induced events, we developed a workflow in which the recorded data from an earthquake are used to describe the source and monitor the area for other (potentially high-magnitude) earthquakes.
Martin Peter Lipus, Felix Schölderle, Thomas Reinsch, Christopher Wollin, Charlotte Krawczyk, Daniela Pfrang, and Kai Zosseder
Solid Earth, 13, 161–176, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-161-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-161-2022, 2022
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A fiber-optic cable was installed along a freely suspended rod in a deep geothermal well in Munich, Germany. A cold-water injection test was monitored with fiber-optic distributed acoustic and temperature sensing. During injection, we observe vibrational events in the lower part of the well. On the basis of a mechanical model, we conclude that the vibrational events are caused by thermal contraction of the rod. The results illustrate potential artifacts when analyzing downhole acoustic data.
Gilda Currenti, Philippe Jousset, Rosalba Napoli, Charlotte Krawczyk, and Michael Weber
Solid Earth, 12, 993–1003, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-993-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-993-2021, 2021
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We investigate the capability of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to record dynamic strain changes related to Etna volcano activity in 2019. To validate the DAS measurements, we compute strain estimates from seismic signals recorded by a dense broadband array. A general good agreement is found between array-derived strain and DAS measurements along the fibre optic cable. Localised short wavelength discrepancies highlight small-scale structural heterogeneities in the investigated area.
Matthias Bücker, Adrián Flores Orozco, Jakob Gallistl, Matthias Steiner, Lukas Aigner, Johannes Hoppenbrock, Ruth Glebe, Wendy Morales Barrera, Carlos Pita de la Paz, César Emilio García García, José Alberto Razo Pérez, Johannes Buckel, Andreas Hördt, Antje Schwalb, and Liseth Pérez
Solid Earth, 12, 439–461, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-439-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-439-2021, 2021
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We use seismic, electromagnetic, and geoelectrical methods to assess sediment thickness and lake-bottom geology of two karst lakes. An unexpected drainage event provided us with the unusual opportunity to compare water-borne measurements with measurements carried out on the dry lake floor. The resulting data set does not only provide insight into the specific lake-bottom geology of the studied lakes but also evidences the potential and limitations of the employed field methods.
Laurent Guillou-Frottier, Hugo Duwiquet, Gaëtan Launay, Audrey Taillefer, Vincent Roche, and Gaétan Link
Solid Earth, 11, 1571–1595, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1571-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1571-2020, 2020
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In the first kilometers of the subsurface, temperature anomalies due to heat conduction rarely exceed 20–30°C. However, when deep hot fluids in the shallow crust flow upwards, for example through permeable fault zones, hydrothermal convection can form high-temperature geothermal reservoirs. Numerical modeling of hydrothermal convection shows that vertical fault zones may host funnel-shaped, kilometer-sized geothermal reservoirs whose exploitation would not need drilling at depths below 2–3 km.
Joseph Doetsch, Hannes Krietsch, Cedric Schmelzbach, Mohammadreza Jalali, Valentin Gischig, Linus Villiger, Florian Amann, and Hansruedi Maurer
Solid Earth, 11, 1441–1455, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1441-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1441-2020, 2020
Łukasz Słonka and Piotr Krzywiec
Solid Earth, 11, 1097–1119, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1097-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1097-2020, 2020
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This paper shows the results of seismic interpretations that document the presence of large Upper Jurassic carbonate buildups in the Miechów Trough (S Poland). Our work fills the gap in recognition of the Upper Jurassic carbonate depositional system of southern Poland. The results also provide an excellent generic reference point, showing how and to what extent seismic data can be used for studies of carbonate depositional systems, in particular for the identification of the carbonate buildups.
Elikplim Abla Dzikunoo, Giulio Vignoli, Flemming Jørgensen, Sandow Mark Yidana, and Bruce Banoeng-Yakubo
Solid Earth, 11, 349–361, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-349-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-349-2020, 2020
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Time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) geophysics data originally collected for mining purposes were reprocessed and inverted. The new inversions were used to construct a 3D model of the subsurface geology to facilitate hydrogeological investigations within a DANIDA-funded project. Improved resolutions from the TEM enabled the identification of possible paleovalleys of glacial origin, suggesting the need for a reevaluation of the current lithostratigraphy of the Voltaian sedimentary basin.
Siobhan F. Killingbeck, Adam D. Booth, Philip W. Livermore, C. Richard Bates, and Landis J. West
Solid Earth, 11, 75–94, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-75-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-75-2020, 2020
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This paper presents MuLTI-TEM, a Bayesian inversion tool for inverting TEM data with independent depth constraints to provide statistical properties and uncertainty analysis of the resistivity profile with depth. MuLTI-TEM is highly versatile, being compatible with most TEM survey designs, ground-based or airborne, along with the depth constraints being provided from any external source. Here, we present an application of MuLTI-TEM to characterise the subglacial water under a Norwegian glacier.
Silvia Salas-Romero, Alireza Malehmir, Ian Snowball, and Benoît Dessirier
Solid Earth, 10, 1685–1705, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1685-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1685-2019, 2019
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Land–river reflection seismic, hydrogeological modelling, and magnetic investigations in an area prone to quick-clay landslides in SW Sweden provide a detailed description of the subsurface structures, such as undulating fractured bedrock, a sedimentary sequence of intercalating leached and unleached clay, and coarse-grained deposits. Hydrological properties of the coarse-grained layer help us understand its role in the leaching process that leads to the formation of quick clays in the area.
Mohammed Ali Garba, Stephanie Vialle, Mahyar Madadi, Boris Gurevich, and Maxim Lebedev
Solid Earth, 10, 1505–1517, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1505-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1505-2019, 2019
Mehdi Asgharzadeh, Ashley Grant, Andrej Bona, and Milovan Urosevic
Solid Earth, 10, 1015–1023, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1015-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1015-2019, 2019
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Data acquisition costs mainly borne by expensive vibrator machines (i.e., deployment, operations, and maintenance) can be regarded as the main impediment to wide application of seismic methods in the mining industry. Here, we show that drill bit noise can be used to image the shallow subsurface when it is optimally acquired and processed. Drill bit imaging methods have many applications in small scale near-surface projects, such as those in mining exploration and geotechnical investigation.
Yaniv Darvasi and Amotz Agnon
Solid Earth, 10, 379–390, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-379-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-379-2019, 2019
Ulrich Polom, Hussam Alrshdan, Djamil Al-Halbouni, Eoghan P. Holohan, Torsten Dahm, Ali Sawarieh, Mohamad Y. Atallah, and Charlotte M. Krawczyk
Solid Earth, 9, 1079–1098, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1079-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1079-2018, 2018
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The alluvial fan of Ghor Al-Haditha (Dead Sea) is affected by subsidence and sinkholes. Different models and hypothetical processes have been suggested in the past; high-resolution shear wave reflection surveys carried out in 2013 and 2014 showed the absence of evidence for a massive shallow salt layer as formerly suggested. Thus, a new process interpretation is proposed based on both the dissolution and physical erosion of Dead Sea mud layers.
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Short summary
This work investigates the impact of commonly used seismic interpretation methods on the analysis of faults. Fault analysis refers to fault length, displacement, and the impact these factors have on geological modelling and hydrocarbon volume calculation workflows. This research was conducted to give geoscientists a better understanding of the importance of interpretation methods and the impact of unsuitable methology on geological analyses.
This work investigates the impact of commonly used seismic interpretation methods on the...
