Towards adapting reverse vertical seismic profiling for ambient-noise imaging with transient sources: Automatic estimation of stationary-phase receivers for improved retrieval of the interferometric Green's function

Most of the ambient-noise studies are performed with sensor arrays located at the surface. Passive recordings containing seismic arrivals from subsurface sources could be seen as having a geometry resembling reverse vertical seismic profiling (RVSP). In such scenarios, the intersource seismic-interferometry technique can be used to redatum...

Reflection image beyond the known extent of the prospective zone provided by 3D virtual-source methodology

We apply a full-scale 3D seismic virtual-source survey (VSS) for the purpose of near-mine mineral exploration in the Kylylahti sulfide deposit, Finland. Based on the ambient-noise (AN) characterization including beamforming results, we created a 10-days subset of AN recordings that were dominated by multi-azimuth high-velocity arrivals. We...

Reflection imaging of complex geology in a crystalline environment using virtual-source seismology: Case study from the Kylylahti polymetallic mine, Finland

For the first time, we apply a full-scale 3D seismic virtual-source survey (VSS) for the purpose of near-mine mineral exploration. The data were acquired directly above the Kylylahti underground mine in Finland. Recorded ambient noise (AN) data are characterized using power spectral density (PSD) and beamforming. Data have the most energy at...

Characterization of drilling-related noise and curvelet-based evaluation of seismic-interferometric reflections for imaging of iron-bearing formations in Pilbara, Western Australia

Here we analyse ambient noise (AN) data generated during drilling of exploration boreholes and recorded using a dense array deployed over one of the numerous shallow iron-ore mineralization targets in the Pilbara region (Western Australia). Drilling and drilling-related operations were reoccurring in a sequence as described by the drillers’...

2D body-wave seismic interferometry as a tool for reconnaissance studies and optimization of passive reflection seismic surveys in hardrock environments

Despite the unrivalled spatial resolution and depth penetration of active-source seismic methods used for mineral exploration in hardrock environment, economic and environmental restrictions (e.g., source permitting) may preclude its full-scale application. In such a case, 2D passive reflection seismics can be considered a cost-effective way...

Automatic 3D illumination-diagnosis method for large-N arrays: robust data scanner and machine-learning feature provider

The main issues related to passive-source reflection imaging with seismic interferometry (SI) are inadequate acquisition parameters for sufficient spatial wavefield sampling and vulnerability of surface arrays to the dominant influence of the omnipresent surface-wave sources. Additionally, long recordings provide large data volumes that...

Seismic interferometry for mineral exploration: Passive seismic experiment over kylylahti mine area, Finland

We present the results of adapting seismic interferometry (SI) for reflection imaging in mineral exploration. We use a unique dataset of one-month ambient-noise recordings acquired with large-N array (~1000 receivers) deployed in a regular grid (50 m receiver interval, 200 m line interval) directly above the known mineralisation and underground...