• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.425-432
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• 2006

A seismic tomography using refraction waves is applied to provide information on depth of basement rocks and leachate distribution of the Noeun waste landfill site for the stage of preliminary environmental survey. This method is generally applied to civil and environmental areas. Three lines, apparently perpendicular to the potential leachate flow direction in this site, were installed to investigate the waste landfill site in pseudo three dimensional geometry. The results show that the site is composed of 3 layers and depth of basement becomes shallower at the upstream area of the landfill site than that of the downstream area. Moreover, some parts of the second layer and the basement at the down stream area are partially infiltrated by the leachate, probably related to the disturbed distribution of the different velocity materials within the second layer. In Conclusion, refraction wave tomography is found to be one of the most efficient way to investigate waste landfill site.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.6-17
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• 2002

Refraction tomography was developed to interpret subsurface velocity structure easily in topographic conditions. It was applied to synthetic refraction data to find the factors for optimization of applicability of refraction tomography such as configuration of profiling and its length, spacing of geophones and sources and topographic conditions. Also, low velocity layer near VSP hole could be detected by joint inversion with refraction and VSP data. Continuity of subsurface velocity structure in two different spread lines for area of house land development was good in case of applying our algorithm and velocity structure was classified quantitatively to evaluate rippability for engineering works.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.314-321
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• 2007

Recently, multi-dimensional joint inversion of geophysical data based on fundamentally different physical properties is being actively studied. Joint inversion can provide a way to obtaining much more accurate image of the subsurface structure. Through the joint inversion, furthermore, it is possible to directly estimate non-geophysical material properties from geophysical measurements. In this study, we developed a new algorithm for jointly inverting dc resistivity and seismic traveltime data based on the multiple constraints: (1) structural similarity based on cross-gradient, (2) correlation between two different material properties, and (3) a priori information on the material property distribution. Through the numerical experiments of surface dc resistivity and seismic refraction surveys, the performance of the proposed algorithm was demonstrated and the effects of different regularizations were analyzed. In particular, we showed that the hidden layer problem in the seismic refraction method due to an inter-bedded low velocity layer can be solved by the joint inversion when appropriate constraints are applied.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.16 no.4 s.50
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• pp.327-335
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• 2006

Three processing strategies of seismic refraction data are tested in terms of velocity and depth profiles or structures for mapping of geological discontinuities: GRM(generalized reciprocal method), GLI(generalized linear inversion), Tomography. The test data used in this study are the shot gathers reconstructed by numerical modeling for the structures of 3 planar layers(horizontal, inclined), the buried vertical fracture zones, and vertical fault zones. Tomography is shown to be very efficient for mapping of more complicated tone such as vertical fault and buried fracture zones, whereas GRM and GLI can be useful for horizontal and/or inclined layers, probably on their bases of analysis of first arrivals in travel time curves.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.85-98
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• 2009

The tau-p inversion algorithm is widely employed to generate starting models with most computer programs, which implement refraction tomography. This algorithm emphasises the vertical resolution of many layers, and as a result, it frequently fails to detect even large lateral variations in seismic velocities, such as the decreases which are indicative of shear zones. This study demonstrates the failure of the tau-p inversion algorithm to detect or define a major shear zone which is 50m or 10 stations wide. Furthermore, the majority of refraction tomography programs parameterise the seismic velocities within each layer with vertical velocity gradients. By contrast, the Generalized Reciprocal Method (GRM) inversion algorithms emphasise the lateral resolution of individual layers. This study demonstrates the successful detection and definition of the 50m wide shear zone with the GRM inversion algorithms. The existence of the shear zone is confirmed by a 2D analysis of the head wave amplitudes and by numerous closely spaced orthogonal seismic profiles carried out as part of a later 3D refraction investigation. Furthermore, an analysis of the shot record amplitudes indicates that a reversal in the seismic velocities, rather than vertical velocity gradients, occurs in the weathered layers. The major conclusion reached in this study is that while all seismic refraction operations should aim to provide as accurate depth estimates as is practical, those which emphasise the lateral resolution of individual layers generate more useful results for geotechnical and environmental applications. The advantages of the improved lateral resolution are obtained with 2D traverses in which the structural features can be recognised from the magnitudes of the variations in the seismic velocities. Furthermore, the spatial patterns obtained with 3D investigations facilitate the recognition of structural features such as faults which do not display any intrinsic variation or 'signature' in seismic velocities.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2002

In order to delineate distribution of the basement in the vicinity of a Quaternary fault outcrop near the Gamsansa temple in Gyeongju, we conducted a seismic refraction survey along a 188 m profile with a 4 m receiver interval. Through tomographic inversion, we define four layers with refraction velocities of approximately 350 m/s, 600 m/s, 1,100 m/s and 2,400 m/s, respectively. We depict a reversed fault at a location of 40 m apart from the base station of the profile and interpret a fracture zone related to fault movements in the NNW of the profile.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.09a
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• pp.132-146
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• 2000

Seismic refraction survey was performed for 10 lines along NE-SW and NW-SE directions above Nampoong gallery at Makyo-ri, Dogye, Samcheok, Kangwon-do. 48 geophones were laid in line with the interval of 1m, and a 5Kg hammer was used as a source at 5 points for each line. Data processing was done using reciprocal time method, GRM, and traveltime tomography which utilizes wavefront expansion method for forward process and STRT for inversion. The result shows that the first layer has its lower boundary between 3.49m and 8.88m. The P-wave velocity of the first and the second layer were estimated as 270${\~}$360m/s and 1550${\~}$1940m/s respectively. When the boundary of the first and second layer is smooth enough and the velocity difference is large enough, GRM has little advantage over reciprocal time method. The result of reciprocal method and traveltime tomography shows consistency. The northeast part of the boundary has syncline structure, which is similar to the topography above. This implies that the collapse of the cavities of Nampoong gallery result in the subsidence of the ground surface. The subsidence is in progress across the Youngdong railroad, therefore a proper reinforcement work is required.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.153-161
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• 2002

In order t determine blasting sites for the crustal refraction studies in the korean peninsula, seismic refraction profiling was conducted at two sites in the reclaimed land of Seosan. At a quarry for construction material and another site on a rice field 2km east of the quarry, 24 channel refraction profiling of 46m was conducted at a geophone spacing of 2m. Seismic velocity profiles obtained through tomographic invesion reveal that the quarry is regarded as an ideal place for blasting based on the observation that fresh basements with seismic velocities of 3,900 m/s or greater locate approximately 6m deep. On the contrary, under the reclaimed rice field, the basements are weathered more, of slower velocities, and buried deeper than quarry, indicating not an ideal location for detonating seismic explosives of large amounts.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.95-100
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• 2006

To reveal subsurface structures of the Ulsan fault, seismic data were recorded along a 750-m long line near Nongso-Eup in Ulsan. P and S waves were generated simultaneously by impacting a 5 kg sledgehammer on a tilted plate. The data were received by 16 10-Hz 3-component geophones at 3 m intervals. Refracted P waves were inverted using the tomography method. Dip moveout and migration were applied to reflection data processed following a general sequence. Four layers were identified based on P-wave velocities and P- and S-wave stacked image. From top to bottom, the P-wave velocity of each layer ranges in $300{\sim}1100\;m/s$, $1100{\sim}1700\;m/s$, $1700{\sim}2700\;m/s$, and greater than 2700 m/s. The corresponding thickness of the top three layers averages 3.9 m, 5.9 m, 4.4 m, respectively. The S-wave stack section is effective to define subsurface structures shallower than 10 m.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 1998

Recently crosshole seismic tomography has come to be widely used especially for the civil engineering, because it can provide more detail information than any other surface method, although the resolution of tomogram will be inevitably deteriorated to some extent due to the limited wavefield aperture on the nonuniqueness of traveltime inversion. In addition, our field sites often consist of a high-velocity bed rock overlain by low-velocity rock, sometimes with a contrast of more than 45 percent, and furthermore the bed rock is folded. The first arriving waves can be then the refracted ones that travel along the bed rock surface for some source/receiver distances. Thus, the desirable first arrivals can be easily misread that cause severe distortion of the resulting tomogram, if it is concerned with (straight ray) traveltime inversion procedure. In this case, comparision with synthetic data (forward modeling) is a valuable tool in the interpretation process. Besides, abundant information is contained in the crosshole data. For instance, examination of tube waves can be devoted to detecting discontinuities within the borehole such as breakouts, faults, fractures or shear zones as well as the end of the borehole. Specific frequency characteristics of marine silty mud will help discriminate from other soft rocks. The aim of this paper is to present several strategies to analyze and interpret the crosshole data in order to improve the ability at first to determine the spatial dimensions of interwell anomalies and furthermore to understand the underground structures. To this end, our field data are demonstrated. Possibility of misreading the first arrivals was illustrated. Tube waves were investigated in conjunction with the televiewer images. Use of shot- and receiver gathers was examined to benefit the detectabilities of discontinuities within the borehole.