• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2023

Various sources, such as wind, waves, ships, and gas leaks from the seafloor, forms bubbles in the ocean. Underwater bubbles cause signal scattering, considerably affecting acoustic measurements. This characteristic of bubbles is used to block underwater noise by attenuating the intensity of the propagated signal. Recently, researchers have been studying the large-scale release of methane gas as bubble plumes from the seabed. Understanding the physical properties and distribution of bubble plumes is crucial for studying the relation between leaked methane gas and climate change. Therefore, a water tank experiment was conducted to estimate the distribution of bubble plumes using seismic imaging techniques and acoustic signals obtained from artificially generated bubbles using a bubble generator. Reverse time migration was applied to image the bubble plumes while the acquired acoustic envelope signal was used to effectively estimate bubble distribution. Imaging results were compared with optical camera images to verify the estimated bubble distribution. The water tank experiment confirmed that the proposed system could successfully image the distribution of bubble plumes using reverse time migration and the envelope signal. The experiment showed that the scattering signal of artificial bubble plumes can be used for seismic imaging.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.171-184
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• 2023

Machine learning (ML)-based cavity detection using a large amount of survey data obtained from vehicle-mounted ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been actively studied to identify underground cavities. However, only simple image processing techniques have been used for preprocessing the ML input, and many conventional seismic and GPR data processing techniques, which have been used for decades, have not been fully exploited. In this study, based on the idea that a cavity can be identified using diffraction, we applied ML-based diffraction separation to GPR data to increase the accuracy of cavity detection using the YOLO v5 model. The original ML-based seismic diffraction separation technique was modified, and the separated diffraction image was used as the input to train the cavity detection model. The performance of the proposed method was verified using public GPR data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Underground cavities and objects were more accurately detected using separated diffraction images. In the future, the proposed method can be useful in various fields in which GPR surveys are used.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2000

The location and geometry of the Ulsan Fault play important roles in interpreting tectonic evolution of the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. Dipole-dipole electrical resistivity surveys and seismic refraction surveys were carried out in the Yaksoo area, Ulsan in order to measure the thickness of the alluvium covering the Ulsan Fault and to find associated fracture zones and possibly the location of its major fault plane. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted. Some results reported previously by others were also used in this interpretation. No low resistivity anomalies were found in the cross-sectional resistivity image of the survey line located in the east of the Dong River. In contrast, well-developed continuous low resistivity anomalies were detected in the west of the Dong River. This strongly suggests that the major fault plane of the Ulsan Fault is located under or in the west part of the Dong River. Two refraction boundaries corresponding to the underground water level and the bottom of the alluvium were found by refraction surveys carried out on the limited part of the east survey line. The thickness of the alluvium was found to be about 30 m. Small faults in the basement rock identified by reflection surveys were not detected by both resistivity and refraction seismic surveys. This might be explained by assuming that low resistivity anomaly is more closely related to the clay contents than the water contents. On the other hand, it may be resulted by the limited resolution of the resistivity and refraction surveys. Detailed study is required to clarify the reason. Resistivity survey is frequently considered to be a good exploration method to detect subsurface faults. However, it appears to be less useful than reflection seismic survey in this work. In dipole-dipole resistivity survey, the number of separation should be increased to survey deeper subsurface with the same resolution. However, signal to noise ratio decreases as the number of separation increases. In this survey area, the signal to noise ratio of up to sixteen separations was good enough based on the statistical properties of measurements.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.70-83
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• 2004

The safety diagnosis of cultural assets is Primarily focused on its non-destructiveness. Research on the nondestructive diagnosis and conservation of masonry cultural heritage is the key which is considered by technologic kernel. Geophyscial Prospecting as nondestructive diagnostic technology plays an important role in the characterization of the foundation of stone pagodas. It is natural that understanding of shallow subsurface condition beneath them is essential for their structural safety diagnosis. As an example, the nondestructive geophysical methods were applied to two three-story stone pagodas, Seokgatap (height 10.8 m, width 4.4 m, weight 82.3 ton) and Dabotap (height 10.4 m, width 7.4 m, weight 123.2 ton) which were built in 791 at Bulkuksa temple. An earlier archaeological investigation shows that stone pagodas have experienced severe weathering process and are slightly leaning, which will threaten their stability At the base part of Dabotap, an offset of the stone alignment is also observed. Direct measurements of ultrasonic velocities was introduced for the mechanical properties of the stone The velocity ranges of ultrasonic waves for Dabotap and Seokgatap are 1217${\~}$4403 m/s and 584${\~}$5845 m/s, respectively, and the estimated averages of the uniaxial compressive strength are 463 kg/$cm^2$ and 409 kg/$cm^2$, respectively. Site characteristics, around the pagodas are determined by the measurement of multiple properties such as seismic velocity, resistivity, image of ground-penetrating radar, On the basis of the higher velocity structure, the site of Seokgatap appears to have solider stability than the Seokgatap site. Near the pagodas, higher(up to 2200 $\Omega$m) resistivity is present whereas their outskirts have as low as 200 $\Omega$m. By the combined results of each geophyscial methods, the subsurface boundaries of two stone pagodas are revealed. The Dabotap site is in the form of an octagon having 6-m-long side with the depth of ${\~}$4 m, whereas the Seokgatap site is the 8 ${\times}$ 10 m rectangle with the depth of 3 m. These subsurface structures appear to reflect the original foundations constructed against the stone load of ${\~}8 ton/m^2$. At the subsurface beneath the northeast of each pagoda, low seismic velocity as well as low resistivity is prominent. It is interpreted to represent the weak underground condition which Is the possible cause of the slightly leaning pagodas toward the NNW.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.126-133
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• 2003

High-resolution shallow marine seismic surveys have been carried out for the resources exploration, engineering applications and Quaternary mapping. To improve the resolution of subsurface structure image, multichannel digital technique has been applied. The quality of the image depends on the vertical and horizontal resolution and signal to noise (S/N) ratio which are associated with the data acquisition parameters such as sample interval, common midpoint (CMP) interval and CMP fold. To understand the effect of the acquisition parameters, a test survey was carried out off Yeosu and the acquired data were analyzed. A 30 $in^3$ small air gun was used as a seismic source and 8 channel streamer cable with a 5 m group interval was used as a receiver. The data were digitally recorded with a shot interval of 2 s and sample interval of 0.1 ms. The acquired data were resampled with various sample intervals, CMP intervals and CMP folds. The resampled data were processed, plotted as seismic sections and compared each other. The analysis results show that thin bed structure with ${\~}1m$ thickness and ${\~}6^{\circ}$ slope can be imaged with good resolution and continuity and low noise using the acquisition parameters with a sample interval shorter than 0.2 ms, CMP interval shorter than 2.5 m and CMP fold more than 4. Because seismic resolution is associated with the acquisition parameters, the quality of the subsurface structure can be imaged successfully using suitable and optimum acquisition parameters.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2010

To determine subglacial topography and internal features of the Fourcade Glacier on King George Island in Antarctica, helicopter-borne and ground-towed ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data were recorded along four profiles in November 2006. Signature deconvolution, f-k migration velocity analysis, and finite-difference depth migration applied to the mixed-phase, single-channel, ground-towed data, were effective in increasing vertical resolution, obtaining the velocity function, and yielding clear depth images, respectively. For the helicopter-borne GPR, migration velocities were obtained as root-mean-squared velocities in a two-layer model of air and ice. The radar sections show rugged subglacial topography, englacial sliding surfaces, and localised scattering noise. The maximum depth to the basement is over 79m in the subglacial valley adjacent to the south-eastern slope of the divide ridge between Fourcade and Moczydlowski Glaciers. In the ground-towed profile, we interpret a complicated conduit above possible basal water and other isolated cavities, which are a few metres wide. Near the terminus, the GPR profiles image sliding surfaces, fractures, and faults that will contribute to the tidewater calving mechanism forming icebergs in Potter Cove.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.131-138
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• 2013

We developed a method for inverting magnetic data to image 2D susceptibility models. The major difficulty in the inversion of the potential data is the nonuniqueness. Furthermore, generally the number of inversion blocks are greater than the number of the magnetic data available, and thus the magnetic inversion leads to under-determined problem, which aggravates the nonuniqueness. When the magnetic data were inverted by the general least-squares method, the anomalous susceptibility would be concentrated near the surface in the inverted section. To overcome this nonuniqueness problem, we propose a new resolution model constraint that is calculated from the parameter resolution. The model constraint imposes large penalty on the model parameter with good resolution, on the other hand small penalty on the model parameter with poor resolution. Thus, the deep-seated model parameter, generally having poor resolution, can be effectively resolved. The developed inversion algorithm is applied to the inversion of the synthetic data for typical models of magnetic anomalies and is tested on real airborne data obtained at the Okcheon belt of Korea.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.139-149
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• 1997

Electrical resistivity monitoring methods were adopted to detect groundwater table change in alluvium. Numerical modelling test using finite element method(FEM) and field resisfivity monitoring were conducted in the study. The field monitoring data were acquired in the alluvium deposit site in Jeong-Dong Ri, Geum River where pumping test had been conducted continuously for 20 days to make artificial changes of groundwater table. The unit distance of the electrode array was 4m and 21 fixed electrodes were applied in numerical calculation and field data acquisition. "Modified Wenner" and dipole-dipole array configurations were used in the study. The models used in two-dimensional numerical test were designed on the basis of the simplifving geological model of the alluvium in Jeong Dong Ri, Geum River. Numerical test results show that the apparent resistivity pseudosections were changed in the vicinity of the pootion where groundwater table was changed. Furthermore, there are some apparent resistivity changes in the boundary between aquifer and crystalline basement rock which overlays the aquifer. The field monitoring data also give similar results which were observed in numerical tests. From the numerical test using FEM and field resistivity monitoring observations in alluvium site of Geum River, the electrical monitoring method is proved to be a useful tool for detecting groundwater behavior including groundwater table change. There are some limitations, however, in the application of the resistivity method only because the change of groundwater table does not give enough variations in the apparent resistivity pseudosections to estimate the amount of groundwater table change. For the improved detection of groundwater table changes, it is desirable to combine the resistivity method with other geophysical methods that reveal the underground image such as high-resolution seismic and/or ground penetrating radar surveys.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 2011

We have developed an inversion code for three-dimensional (3D) resistivity tomography including the anisotropy effect. The algorithm is based on the finite element approximations for the forward modelling and Active Constraint Balancing method is adopted to enhance the resolving power of the smoothness constraint least-squares inversion. Using numerical experiments, we have shown that anisotropic inversion is viable to get an accurate image of the subsurface when the subsurface shows strong electrical anisotropy. Moreover, anisotropy can be used as additional information in the interpretation of subsurface. This algorithm was also applied to the field dataset acquired in the abandoned old mine area, where a high-rise apartment block has been built up over a mining tunnel. The main purpose of the investigation was to evaluate the safety analysis of the building due to old mining activities. Strong electrical anisotropy has been observed and it was proven to be caused by geological setting of the site. To handle the anisotropy problem, field data were inverted by a 3D anisotropic tomography algorithm and we could obtain 3D subsurface images, which matches well with geology mapping observations. The inversion results have been used to provide the subsurface model for the safety analysis in rock engineering and we could assure the residents that the apartment has no problem in its safety after the completion of investigation works.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.211-216
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• 2013

In general, smoothing filters regularize functions by reducing differences between adjacent values. The smoothing filters, therefore, can regularize inverse solutions and produce more accurate subsurface structure when we apply it to full waveform inversion. If we apply a smoothing filter with a constant coefficient to subsurface image or velocity model, it will make layer interfaces and fault structures vague because it does not consider any information of geologic structures and variations of velocity. In this study, we develop a selective smoothing regularization technique, which adapts smoothing coefficients according to inversion iteration, to solve the weakness of smoothing regularization with a constant coefficient. First, we determine appropriate frequencies and analyze the corresponding wavenumber coverage. Then, we define effective maximum wavenumber as 99 percentile of wavenumber spectrum in order to choose smoothing coefficients which can effectively limit the wavenumber coverage. By adapting the chosen smoothing coefficients according to the iteration, we can implement multi-scale full waveform inversion while inverting multi-frequency components simultaneously. Through the successful inversion example on a salt model with high-contrast velocity structures, we can note that our method effectively regularizes the inverse solution. We also verify that our scheme is applicable to field data through the numerical example to the synthetic data containing random noise.