To evaluate and upscale the feasibility of utilizing exploration tunnels in an operating mine for active-source seismic imaging, a seismic experiment was conducted at the Neves-Corvo mine, in southern Portugal. Four seismic profiles were deployed in exploration drifts ca. 650 m beneath the ground surface, above the world-class Lombador volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit. In addition to the tunnel profiles, two perpendicular surface seismic profiles were deployed above the exploration tunnels. The survey was possible due to a newly developed prototype GPS-time transmitter enabling accurate GPS synchronization of cabled and nodal seismic recorders, both below and on the surface. Another innovative acquisition aspect was a 1.65 t broadband, linear synchronous motor (LSM) driven - electric seismic vibrator (e-vib) used as the seismic source along two of the exploration tunnels. Challenges and innovations necessary for active-source tunnel seismic acquisition, characterized by high levels of vibrational noise from the mining activities, are discussed. Additionally, the LSM vibrator’s signal and overall seismic data quality in this hard rock mining environment are evaluated. Processing results from the tunnel data and 3D reflection imaging of the Lombador deposit below the exploration tunnels are shown and the results checked for consistency through constant-velocity 3D ray-tracing traveltime forward modeling. For imaging purposes, 3D Kirchhoff pre-stack depth and post-stack time migration algorithms were used, with both successfully imaging the targeted deposit. The results obtained show that active-source seismic imaging using subsurface mining infrastructure of operational mines is possible. However, it requires innovative exploration strategies, a broadband seismic source, an accurate GPS-time system capable of transmitting GPS-time hundreds of meters below the surface and careful processing. The results obtained open up possibilities for similar studies in different mining or tunneling projects.

Seismic imaging characteristics of a prototype electrically driven, linear synchronous motor (LSM) based, vertical-force seismic vibrator (“e-vib”) were evaluated at a site in the Netherlands. The system weighs 1.65 t and excites seismic signals with a peak force of 6.7 kN. Data were recorded along two collocated geophone based-nodal and landstreamer MEMS-based (micro-electromechanical sensors) 2D seismic profiles. To obtain a broad bandwidth dataset, the e-vib operated with a 1-200 Hz linear sweep. Shot gathers of the merged nodal-landstreamer dataset show good quality seismic data of a broadband nature. The processed merged dataset demonstrates high-resolution reflections of the stratigraphic members from approximately 200 m to 2 km, with visible reflections as deep as 2.5 to 2.9 km. As a reference, we also processed a legacy 3D microspread dataset acquired at the same site with a magnitude stronger (14.1 t, 67.5 kN) hydraulic vibrator. Comparison of our nodal-landstreamer seismic section versus 2D slices extracted from the processed microspread volume suggests similar signal penetration depth and same key marker horizons seen in both. Analysis of the reaction mass and base-plate accelerometer signals recorded with the e-vib source operating both on grass and asphalt surfaces shows that the e-vib has low total harmonic distortion. The results obtained indicate that, although relatively small, the e-vib is capable of generating high-quality, broadband seismic data.

A prototype electromagnetic vibrator, referred to here as E‐Vib, was upgraded and developed for broadband hardrock and mineral exploration seismic surveys. We selected the iron oxide mine in Blötberget, central Sweden, for a test site in 2019 for the newly developed E‐Vib because of the availability of earlier seismic datasets (from 2015 to 2016) for verification of its performance for hardrock imaging purposes. The two‐dimensional data acquisition consisted of a fixed geometry with 550 receiver locations spaced at every 5 m, employing both cabled and wireless seismic recorders, along an approximately 2.7 km long profile. The E‐Vib operated at every second receiver station (i.e. 10 m spacing) with a linear sweep of 2–180 Hz and with a peak force of 7 kN. The processing workflow took advantage of the broadband signal generated by the E‐Vib in this challenging hardrock environment with varying ground conditions. The processed seismic section shows a set of reflections associated with the known iron oxide mineralization and a major crosscutting reflection interpreted to be from a fault system likely to be crosscutting the mineralization. The broadband source data acquisition and subsequent processing helped to improve signal quality and resolution in comparison with the earlier workflows and data where a drophammer seismic source was used as the seismic source. These results suggest new possibilities for the E‐Vib source for improved targeting in hardrock geological settings.

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