Seismic Refraction Processing

The BSU package includes some software for the refraction delay time method. This software is suitable for a simple problem like mapping the depth to bedrock with a soil overburden. Engineering applications include slope stability analysis, assessment for the need to blast or excavate in construction, and mapping the extent of a soil deposit (like a gravel barrow). There are no assumptions about the recording surface, or the layout of the geophones and shots. The ground topography can be irregular, and geophones do not always need to be deployed in a line. The seismic source can be buried, or on the surface of the ground.

This section will be illustrated with a data sample recorded along a highway where the issue was slope stability (Michaels (11) ). The Idaho Transportation Department was considering adding a passing lane, and the amount of overburden in the up dip direction was of concern. The sample file may be downloaded from the BSU Database web page.
Go to https://cgiss.boisestate.edu/~pm/BSU/. Click on the check boxes for 1995, Idaho, and then on submit. It will list 3 download archives. ID-102.zip is the raw bison files and SEGY with some scripts.



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