A. Vafidis

Wave propagation in heterogeneous, porous media; a velocity-stress, finite-difference method

A particle velocity-stress, finite-difference method is developed for the simulation of wave propagation in 2-D heterogeneous poroelastic media. Instead of the prevailing second-order differential equations, we consider a first-order hyperbolic system that is equivalent to Biots equations. The vector of unknowns in this system consists of the solid and fluid particle velocity components, the solid stress components, and the fluid pressure. A MacCormack finite-difference scheme that is fourth-order accurate in space and second-order accurate in time forms the basis of the numerical solutions for Biots hyperbolic system. An original analytic solution for a P-wave line source in a uniform poroelastic medium is derived for the purposes of source implementation and algorithm testing. In simulations with a two-layer model, additional «slow» compressional incident, transmitted, and reflected phases are recorded when the damping coefficient is small. This «slow» compressional wave is highly attenuated in porous media saturated by a viscous fluid. From the simulation we also verified that the attenuation mechanism introduced in Biots theory is of secondary importance for «fast» compressional and rotational waves. The existence of seismically observable differences caused by the presence of pores has been examined through synthetic experiments that indicate that amplitude variation with offset may be observed on receivers and could be diagnostic of the matrix and fluid parameters. This method was applied in simulating seismic wave propagation over an expanded steam-heated zone in Cold Lake, alberta in an area of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processing. The results indicate that a seismic surface survey can be used to monitor thermal fronts

Lithospheric structure of the Aegean obtained from P and S receiver functions

Combined P and S receiver functions from seismograms of teleseismic events recorded at 65 temporary and permanent stations in the Aegean region are used to map the geometry of the subducted African and the overriding Aegean plates. We image the Moho of the subducting African plate at depths ranging from 40 km beneath southern Crete and the western Peloponnesus to 160 km beneath the volcanic arc and 220 km beneath northern Greece. However, the dip of the Moho of the subducting African plate is shallower beneath the Peloponnesus than beneath Crete and Rhodes and flattens out beneath the northern Aegean. Observed P-to-S conversions at stations located in the forearc indicate a reversed velocity contrast at the Moho boundary of the Aegean plate, whereas this boundary is observed as a normal velocity contrast by the S-to-P conversions. Our modeling suggests that the presence of a large amount of serpentinite (more than 30%) in the forearc mantle wedge, which generally occurs in the subduction zones, may be the reason for the reverse sign of the P-to-S conversion coefficient. Moho depths for the Aegean plate show that the southern part of the Aegean (crustal thickness of 20–22 km) has been strongly influenced by extension, while the northern Aegean Sea, which at present undergoes the highest crustal deformation, shows a relatively thicker crust (25–28 km). This may imply a recent initiation of the present kinematics in the Aegean. Western Greece (crustal thickness of 32–40 km) is unaffected by the recent extension but underwent crustal thickening during the Hellenides Mountains building event. The depths of the Aegean Moho beneath the margin of the Peloponnesus and Crete (25–28 and 25–33 km, respectively) show that these areas are also likely to be affected by the Aegean extension, even though the Cyclades (crustal thickness of 26–30 km) were not significantly involved in this episode. The Aegean lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) mapped with S receiver functions is about 150 km deep beneath mainland Greece, whereas the LAB of the subducted African plate dips from 100 km beneath Crete and the southern Aegean Sea to about 225 km under the volcanic arc. This implies a thickness of 60–65 km for the subducted African lithosphere, suggesting that the Aegean lithosphere was not significantly affected by the extensional process associated with the exhumation of metamorphic core complexes in the Cyclades.

Spectral balancing GPR data using time-variant bandwidth in the t-f domain

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) sections encounter a resolution reduction with depth because, for electromagnetic (EM) waves propagating in the subsurface, attenuation is typically more pronounced at higher frequencies. To correct for these effects, we have applied a spectral balancing technique, using the S-transform (ST). This signal-processing technique avoids the drawbacks of inverse Q* filtering techniques, namely, the need for estimation of the attenuation factor Q* from the GPR section and instability caused by scattering effects that result from methods of dominant frequency-dependent estimation of Q* . The method designs and applies a gain in the time-frequency ( t-f ) domain and involves the selection of a time-variant bandwidth to reduce high-frequency noise. This method requires a reference amplitude spectrum for spectral shaping. It performs spectral balancing, which works efficiently for GPR data when it is applied in very narrow time windows. Furthermore, we have found that spectral balancin...

Joint inversion of 2D resistivity and seismic travel time data to image saltwater intrusion over karstic areas

The simultaneous inversion of multiple geophysical data types has been proven to be a powerful tool to both improve subsurface imaging and help in the interpretation process. The main goal of this paper was to develop joint inversion strategies to provide improved resistivity and seismic velocity images for delineating saline water zones in karstic geological formations. The cross-gradient constraint approach was adopted to jointly invert resistivity and seismic first arrival data. The basic idea of this approach is to quantitatively estimate the structural similarity between resistivity and seismic velocity models, using the cross product of their gradients and to achieve a unified geological model which satisfies both data sets. Initially, synthetic data were employed to help develop a joint inversion strategy to be used over such complex geological structures. The proposed strategy uses a weighting factor for the cross-gradient constraints and separate damping factors for the resistivity and seismic data. This strategy was applied successfully on field data from the karstic region of Stilos, Crete, Greece.

Combination of Acceleration-Sensor and Broadband Velocity-Sensor Recordings for Attenuation Studies: The Case of the 8 January 2006 Kythera Intermediate-Depth Earthquake

On 8 January 2006, an intermediate-depth earthquake occurred at the western part of the Hellenic trench close to the island of Kythera (southern Greece). This is the first intermediate-depth earthquake in the broader Aegean area that has produced such an extensive set of useful recordings, as it was recorded by the main permanent seismological networks and numerous acceleration sensors operating in Greece, as well as by EGELADOS, a large-scale temporary amphibian broadband seismological network deployed in the southern Aegean area. An effort to combine all the available data (broadband velocity and acceleration sensor) was made to study the properties of ground-motion attenuation of this earth- quake. The combination of both types of data revealed interesting properties of the earthquake wave field, which would remain hidden if only one type of data was used. Moreover, the data have been used for a validation of existing peak ground-motion empirical prediction relations and the preliminary study of the very inhomogeneous attenuation pattern of the southern Aegean intermediate-depth events at both near- and far-source distances.

Time-varying deconvolution of GPR data in civil engineering

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) profiles are often used in civil engineering problems. Overlapping reflections from thin subgrade layers are observed when a relatively low frequency antenna is used. An efficient GPR data processing method, which increases the dominant frequency of GPR data and the temporal resolution, is proposed. It is implemented in the t–f domain. The proposed time-varying deconvolution technique avoids the need for both the calculation of an inverse zero-phase whitening operator and subsequently the application of a band-pass filtering. The user must select the dominant frequency of the Ricker wavelet and use the phase of a reference electromagnetic wavelet, which is acquired experimentally, for stationary dephasing. Apart from delineating thin layers, this method reduces the number of antennas for imaging both shallow and deeper layers in civil engineering. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through four civil engineering applications.

Saltwater intrusion in an irrigated agricultural area: combining density-dependent modeling and geophysical methods

Saltwater intrusion is one of the most important water quality problems in coastal aquifers, especially in areas with increased water demands. Geophysical techniques can provide a non-invasive and cost-effective approach for determining the geometrical characteristics of an aquifer and for guiding the saltwater intrusion modeling process and in turn reducing the model’s inherent uncertainty. In this work, the above concept was applied in the Tympaki basin in Heraklion, Greece. The transient electromagnetic method was used to obtain an accurate 3-D geomodel (bedrock geometry and fault detection) of the basin. This, in turn, was used to guide the construction of a density-dependent groundwater flow and transport simulation model. The results show significant advancement of the saltwater intrusion front in the northern part of the study area, while the phenomenon is less pronounced in the central and southern parts. This is mainly attributed to the combined effect of the fault in the northern part of the basin, the uplifted Neogene deposits in the central part and the freshwater inflow from the Festos corridor in the southern part.

Feasibility study on the use of seismic methods in detecting monumental tombs buried in tumuli

A tumulus is a monumental construction erected to cover a tomb. In this paper, we examine the feasibility of the seismic method in detecting buried tombs without destroying the tumulus. In the proposed seismic method, a number of refraction profiles are employed. First, we conduct a seismic refraction survey in order to map the subsurface in the vicinity of the tumulus. Then, we choose the optimum parameters of the seismic refraction survey which is employed for locating the tomb. In this survey, the geophones are spread along a circular profile on the periphery of the tumulus, while the shot is located at its top. Time delays observed on the arrivals of the head waves reveal the position of the tomb. The delays are not caused by the monument itself, but they reflect the position of the ramp which was dug in the undisturbed soil for constructing the tomb. In this paper, we present three case studies from Northern Greece. The feasibility of the proposed seismic method was first established at an already explored tumulus near Toumpa village. The efficiency of the new tool was verified on the second case study, where the tomb in Messiano village tumulus was detected by the proposed seismic refraction technique. This method was also applied in order to search for a second tomb in the Pella tumulus.

Deterministic deconvolution for GPR data in the t-f domain

Deconvolution methods encounter difficulties in increasing the temporal resolution of GPR data due mainly to non-stationarity of the records. GPR wavelets are typically mixed phase, which is additionally a major failure of standard deconvolution methods. Here, we propose a deterministic deconvolution method for GPR data, implemented in the t-f domain, which utilizes narrow time windows and sets spectral balancing as a precondition. A reference wavelet is estimated experimentally for the calculation of a time varying deconvolution operator. Its phase variation is extracted from the spectrally balanced deconvolved GPR trace. The algorithm, tested on synthetic and real data, produces very promising results. In particular the deconvolved GPR section acquired over sands exhibits better temporal resolution and reveals reflected waves travelling through high loss media.

Contribution of electrical tomography methods in geotechnical investigations at Mavropigi lignite open pit mine, Northern Greece

In this paper, the application of 2D and 3D electrical resistivity methods in geotechnical investigations is explored through a case study in Northern Greece. These two methods were employed at a lignite surface mining operation where fracture zones and discontinuities have been recently observed close to the pit boundaries. The main aim of the geophysical survey was to estimate the inclination of the contact between the Neogene and Schist/Carbonate formations near the southern limits of the pit, as well as to estimate the thickness of the carbonate rocks on top of the Schist formations to evaluate the stability of the southern slopes. Synthetic data were initially generated to help plan an efficient electrical tomography survey, in a region with complex geology and irregular terrain. Three configurations (Wenner–Schlumberger and dipole–dipole or pole–dipole) proved essential in such conditions and helped improving the resolution of the resistivity section. The sections were then calibrated by boreholes. Finally, the geophysical survey provided invaluable data regarding the geometry of the bedrock and possible faults, which was essential for the slope stability calculations.