• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.148-154
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• 2004

This article reviews the development of three-dimensional (3-D) magnetotelluric (MT) modeling. The 3-D modeling of electromagnetic fields is essential in understanding the physics of MT soundings, and in implementing an inversion method to reconstruct a 3-D resistivity image. Although various numerical schemes have been developed over the last two decades, practical methods have been quite limited. However, the recent rapid improvement in computer speed and memory, as well as the advance in iterative solution algorithms for a large system of equations, makes it possible to model the MT responses of complex 3-D structures, which have been very difficult to simulate before. The use of staggered grids in finite difference method has become popular, conserving a magnetic flux and an electric current and allowing for realistic discontinuous fields. The convergence of numerical solutions has been greatly accelerated by adopting Krylov subspace methods, proper preconditioning techniques, and static divergence corrections. The vector finite-element method using edge elements is also free from the discontinuity problem, and seems a natural choice for modeling complex structures including irregular topography because its flexibility allows one to capture full geometric complexity.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.277-286
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• 2002

Most of the problems in dealing with the tunnel construction are the uncertainties and complexities of the stress conditions and rock strengths in ahead of the tunnel excavation. The limitations on the investigation technology, inaccessibility of borehole test in mountain area and public hatred also restrict our knowledge on the geologic conditions on the mountainous tunneling area. Nevertheless an extensive and superior geophysical exploration data is possibly acquired deep within the mountain area, with up to the tunnel locations in the case of alternative design or turn-key base projects. An appealing claim in the use of artificial neural networks (ANN) is that they give a more trustworthy results on our data based on identifying relevant input variables such as a little geotechnical information and biological learning principles. In this study, error back-propagation algorithm that is one of the teaching techniques of ANN is applied to presupposition on Rock Mass Ratings (RMR) for unknown tunnel area. In order to verify the applicability of this model, a 4km railway tunnel's field data are verified and used as input parameters for the prediction of RMR, with the learned pattern by error back propagation logics. ANN is one of basic methods in solving the geotechnical uncertainties and helpful in solving the problems with data consistency, but needs some modification on the technical problems and we hope our study to be developed in the future design work.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.9-20
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• 2017

To date, several studies have been carried out to partially compare and analyze the resistivity values within the Yangsan fault zone through the electrical resistivity survey of the exposed fault zone. However, it is not easy to directly observe a large scaled fault like Yangsan fault that has been weathered, especially due to the weathering of the fault core. This study aimed to reveal the characteristics of location, geometry, the fault core zone as well as underground distribution of the associated fault damage zone, based on the results of electrical resistivity and micro-topographic surveys as well as field geology survey in the southern Yangsan fault zone (Eonyang area). The resistivity anomaly zones developed in the NNE to NE direction were confirmed by the electrical resistivity survey. According to the electrical resistivity, micro-topographic, and field geologic surveys, the Yangsan fault has been formed by three to five fault cores, fault damage zones and/or fractured zones.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.615-623
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• 2010

Seismic refraction survey is a geophysical method that delineates subsurface velocity structure using direct wave and critically refracted wave. The generalized reciprocal method(GRM) is an inversion technique which uses travel-time data from several forward and reverse shots and which can provide the geometry of irregular inclined refractors and structures underlain by hidden layer such as low velocity zone and thin layer. In this study, a simple Excel-GRM routine was tested for fast mapping of the interface between weathering layer and bedrock during the survey, with employing a pair of forward and reverse shots. This routine was proved to control the maximum dip of approximately $30^{\circ}C$ and maximum velocity contrast of 0.6, based on the panel tests in terms of dipping angle and velocity contrast for the two-layer inclined models. In contrast with conventional operation of five to seven shots with sufficient offset distance and indoor data analysis thereafter, this routine was performed in the field shortly after data acquisition. Depth to the bedrock provided by Excel-GRM, during the field survey for Cheongju granite area, correlates well with the elevation of the surface of soft rock from the drill core and SPS logging data. This cost-effective routine developed for quickly delineating the bedrock surface in the field survey will be readily applicable to mapping of weathering zone in narrow zone with small variation of elevation of bedrock.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 1999

AVO and complex trace analyses mainly used to characterize natural gas reservoir were tested in this paper for a possible application to detection of major geological discontinuities such as fracture zones. The test data used in this study were calculated by utilizing a viscoelastic numerical program which was based on the generalized Maxwell body for a horizontal fracture model. In AVO analysis of a horizontal fracture zone, p-wave reflection appears to be variant depending upon the acoustic-impedence contrast and the offset distance. The fracture zone is also effectively clarified both in gradient stack and range-limited stack in which fracture zone reflection is attenuated with the increasing offset distance. In complex attribute plots (instantaneous amplitude, frequency, and phase), the top and bottom of the fracture Tone are characterized by a zone of strong amplitudes and an event of the same phase. Low frequency characteristics appear at the fracture zone and the underneath. Amplitude attenuation and waveform dispersion are dependent on Q-contrast between the fracture zone and the surrounding media. They were properly compensated by optimum inverse Q-filtering.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2006

Geological storage of captured $CO_2$ is a new way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to protect the climate, but is based on the established technology associated with injection of fluids underground. The geological formations of interest for this technique include operational and depleted oil and gas fields, and deep saline aquifers. Prediction of storage performance will depend on models of the behaviour of $CO_2$ in geological formations; these need to be refined and verified, and methods of monitoring developed and proved. These needs can be met through monitored demonstration and research projects. Current commercial projects that are demonstrating $CO_2$ storage include Sleipner, Weyburn, ORC, and In Salah; research projects include West Pearl Queen, Nagaoka, and Frio. In this paper, some of the monitored injection projects are described. The reservoirs employed for storing $CO_2$, and the associated monitoring techniques, are briefly reviewed. It is argued that small-scale research projects, used to develop techniques and prove models, are complementary to the large-scale monitored injections that will establish the viability of this technique for mitigating climate change.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2016

Two representative residual static methods of traveltime decomposition and stack-power maximization are discussed in terms of application to land seismic data. For the model data with synthetic shot/receiver statics (time shift) applied and random noises added, continuities of reflection event are much improved by stack-power maximization method, resulting the derived time-shifts approximately equal to the synthetic statics. Optimal parameters (maximum allowable shift, correlation window, iteration number) for residual statics are effectively chosen with diagnostic displays of CSP (common shot point) stack and CRP (common receiver point) stack as well as CMP gather. In addition to removal of long-wavelength time shift by refraction statics, prior to residual statics, processing steps of f-k filter, predictive deconvolution and time variant spectral whitening are employed to attenuate noises and thereby to minimize the error during the correlation process. The reflectors including horizontal layer of reservoir are more clearly shown in the variable-density section through repicking the velocities after residual statics and inverse NMO correction.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.76-83
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• 2016

Migration image can be distorted due to reflected waves in the source and receiver wavefields when discontinuities of input velocity model exist in seismic imaging. To remove reflected waves coming from layer interfaces, it is a common practice to smooth the velocity model for migration. If the velocity model is smoothed, however, the subsurface image can be distorted because the velocity changes around interfaces. In this paper, we attempt to minimize the distortion by reducing reflection energy in the source and receiver wavefields through acoustic impedance homogenization. To make acoustic impedance constant, we define fake density model and use it for migration. When the acoustic impedance is constant over all layers, the reflection coefficient at normal incidence becomes zero and the minimized reflection energy results in the improvement of migration result. To verify our algorithm, we implement the reverse-time migration using cell-based finite-difference method. Through numerical examples, we can note that the migration image is improved at the layer interfaces with high velocity contrast, and it shows the marked improvement particularly in the shallow part.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 1998

Seismic tomography has been widely used as high resolution subsurface imaging techniques in engineering applications. Although most of the techniques have been using travel time inversion, waveform method is being driven forward owing to the progress of computational environments. Although full-waveform inversion method has been known as the best method in terms of model resolving power without high-frequency restriction and weak scattering approximation, it has practical disadvantage that it is apt to get stuck in local minimum if the initial guess is far from the actual model and it consumes so much time to calculate. In this study, 2-D full-waveform inversion algorithm in acoustic medium is developed, which uses result of traveltime tomography as initial model. From the application on synthetic data, it is proved that this approach can efficiently reduce the problem of conventional approaches: our algorithm shows much faster convergence rate and improvement of model resolution. Result of application on physical modeling data also shows much improvement. It is expected that this algorithm can be applicable to real data.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.380-392
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• 2002

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the usage of microtremor in estimation of subsurface structure and ground response to strong ground motion. To accomplish the purpose, the current status of microtremor study are reviewed and microtremors recorded at several stations are analysed. First of all, the stability of microtremor is examined through the analysis of microtremors recorded for 80 seconds per hour during the time from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for eight hours at night time. It is found that the shape of microtremor spectra of low frequency below 10Hz is approximately invariable with time and the spectra contain informations about subsurface structure. The subsurface structures estimated from the predominant frequency determined from the recorded microtremors are compared with the known ones from geophysical surveys at several stations in Kyungju. The comparison of structures shows rough agreements at most stations. Horizontal to vertical spectral ratio(HVSR) technique for microtremor has been proposed as an indirect method to determine ground response to strong ground motion. The HVSR for microtremors recorded in Kyungju is calculated and compared with theoretical transfer function calculated from the known structures. The comparison shows rough coincidence of the peak frequency of spectra between them.