What Is a Seismic Survey?

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What Is a Seismic Survey?

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A seismic survey is used to investigate Earths subterranean structure and is mainly used for oil and gas exploration. This method uses the principles of reflective seismology to acquire and interpret seismic data, which permits the estimation of the Earths composition. The technique is similar to that used by computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans, involving the analysis of seismic waves that travel through the Earth. When a seismic survey is conducted, seismic waves are usually generated by dynamite or by special vibrators mounted on trucks. These vibroseis trucks, as they are known, are often used if the use of dynamite could cause serious damage to the surroundings, such as in cavernous areas. The trucks use heavy metal plates weighing in at over 3 tons (2.72 metric tons) that are placed in contact with the ground, and which are then struck with heavy hammers. As the seismic waves pass through the Earth and encounter different materials, some of their energy is reflected off the boundaries between the different strata while other waves will pass through. The reflected energy returns to the surface, where its speed and strength is measured by special detectors, known as geophones. The geophones convert the movement of the ground into electrical signals, which are then digitized by seismometers. These signals are then processed by computers; the more complex the geology of the area being studied, the more computing power required to process the massive quantities of data. AdChoices

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