Multicomponent broadband digital-based seismic landstreamer for near-surface applications

During the last few decades there has been an increased demand for infrastructure, along with a greater awareness of environmental issues in the construction industry. These factors have contributed to an increased interest in using seismic methods for near surface characterization, particularly in urban environments. Seismic sensors not affected by anthropogenic electromagnetic noise are therefore important, as well as an acquisition system that is easy to deploy, move and non-invasive. To address some of these challenges, a multicomponent broadband MEMS (micro-electro mechanical system) based landstreamer system was developed. The landstreamer system is fully digital, therefore it is less sensitive to electrical or electromagnetic noise. Crosstalk, leakage and tilting tests show that the system is superior to its predecessors. The broadband nature of the sensors (theoretically 0-800 Hz), 3C (three-component) recording and the close spacing of the sensors enable high-resolution imaging. The current streamer configuration consists of 20 sensors 4 m apart and 80 sensors 2 m apart. The streamer can easily be combined with wireless recorders for simultaneous data acquisition. In this study, we present results from testing of the streamer with various sources, such as a shear wave vibrator and different types of impact sources. MEMS-sensors and their high sensitivity allowed recording clear reflections that were not observed with coil-based sensors. A complementary test was also carried out at a planned access ramp for an urban tunnel where potential poor quality rocks had been identified by drilling. First-break traveltime tomography showed that these poor quality rocks correlate with low velocity zones. The presented landstreamer system has great potential for characterizing the subsurface in noisy environments.