what is a seismic survey

7/27/2019 What is a Seismic Survey

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A seismic survey is used to investigate Earths subterranean structure

and is mainly used for oil and gas exploration. This method uses the

principles of reflective seismologyto acquire and interpret seismic

data, which permits the estimation of the Earths composition. The

technique is similar to that used by computerized axial tomography

(CAT) scans, involving the analysis of seismic waves that travel

through the Earth.

When a seismic survey is conducted, seismic waves are usually

generated by dynamite or by special vibrators mounted on trucks.

These vibroseis trucks, as they are known, are often used if the use of

dynamite could cause serious damage to the surroundings, such as in

cavernous areas. The trucks use heavy metal plates weighing in at

over 3 tons (2.72 metric tons) that are placed in contact with the

ground, and which are then struck with heavy hammers.

As the seismic waves pass through the Earth and encounter different

materials, some of their energy is reflected off the boundaries

between the different strata while other waves will pass through. Thereflected energy returns to the surface, where its speed and strength

is measured by special detectors, known as geophones. The

geophones convert the movement of the ground into electrical

signals, which are then digitized by seismometers. These signals are

then processed by computers; the more complex the geologyof the

area being studied, the more computing power required to process

the massive quantities of data.

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what is a seismic survey

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