Seismic services include reflection seismology, used in the oil industry to map rock formations, and mining seismology, which measures disturbances caused by mining. Seismic waves are studied by seismologists and geophysicists using various instruments. Reflection seismology is also used to search for hydrocarbons and explore coal, minerals, ores, and geothermal energy. Ground penetrating radar is another type of seismic service that uses electromagnetic waves to map shallow areas.
There are many different types of seismic services, but the two main types are reflection seismology and mining seismology. Reflection seismology is referred to as “seismic” and is primarily used in the oil industry to map rock formations. Mining seismology measures disturbances in rock caused by mining.
Seismology is the study of seismic waves, which are waves of energy that travel through the earth. These waves are caused by earthquakes or vibrations due to natural and man-made causes. Some natural springs create low amplitude waves called ambient vibrations. Seismic waves are measured by various seismic services, including seismographs, accelerometers, geophones or hydrophones, and are studied by seismologists and geophysicists.
Seismology can be divided into two types: passive and active. Passive is simply recording any wave or vibration from rock formations and is used in mining seismology. Active means that a surface source, such as an explosion, is used to create vibrations and the reflection or refraction of the waves is measured.
Mining seismology has been used to monitor any movement in the rock due to mining. The seismic activity that is recorded is much smaller in magnitude than the seismic activity of earthquakes. Mining seismology studies how rock mass is affected by mining activity. This is necessary to predict the risk of seismic damage from mining as it is essential to know how rock breaks down underground to make mine shafts safer.
Reflection seismology is another of the seismic services available. It is also called seismic reflection and is widely used in the petroleum industry. It is used to map the structure of rock formations beneath the surface of the earth.
The disturbance on the surface that is used to produce waves can be an explosion, some type of air gun that shoots a column of air into the ground, or a seismic vibrator. These elastic waves are used to imagine the structure of the formations. The time it takes for these waves to reach a destination is measured, and the depth of a subsurface feature that caused the reflection is estimated. This process is similar to echolocation, used by animals, and sonar.
Reflection seismology is used in the petroleum industry to search for hydrocarbons, such as petroleum and natural gas. It can be used on land, in water, or in a transitional zone between the two, such as in deltas, through coral reefs, marshes or coastal tidal zones. It is used to explore coal, minerals, ores and geothermal energy. Basic research into the origin and formation of rocky matter within the earth’s crust also uses reflection seismology.
Another type of seismic service available, very similar to reflection seismology, is ground penetrating radar or GPR. Instead of using elastic waves, use electromagnetic waves. It is mainly used for imaging shallow areas up to several meters deep. Ground penetrating radar works by sending radar pulses of microwave electromagnetic radiation into the ground and measures the signals that have reflected off subsurface structures to map the area. These are just a few of the different types of seismic services available for exploration and intelligence gathering.
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