High-resolution shear-wave seismic reflection as a tool to image near-surface subrosion structures – a case study in Bad Frankenhausen, Germany

Wadas, Sonja; Polom, Ulrich; Krawczyk, Charlotte M.

doi:10.5194/se-7-1491-2016

Cited by 32 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Dissolution creates structures at a subseismic scale which cannot be detected because the resolution limit of the S Hseismic at such depths is about 3 to 4.5 m. In previous work by Krawczyk et al (2012) and Wadas et al (2016), carried out in Hamburg and Bad Frankenhausen in Germany, respectively, similar dissolution-induced features were observed. The seismic sections show a lateral and vertical variable reflection pattern with discontinuous reflectors and small-scale fractures formed by dissolution of soluble rocks near the surface.…”

Section: Releasing Bendmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…This is also the case in Hamburg (Krawczyk et al, 2012), Bad Frankenhausen (Wadas et al, 2016) in Germany and at the Dead Sea in Jordan (Polom et al, 2016a). The method is applicable to other study areas if its limitations are kept in mind, such as the lower penetration depth with respect to P-wave refection seismic, especially in dissolution areas, and the limits of resolution.…”

Section: Releasing Bendmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…the suppression of surface Love waves if the first subsurface layer is of higher seismic velocity than the second layer, which is often the case on paved or compacted roads (Polom et al, 2010;Krawczyk et al, 2012). For a successful survey in a karst area the use of a high-frequency signal and a dense receiver and source spacing are important for detecting the strong lateral and vertical, structural variations induced by dissolution and obtaining high-resolution images of the subsurface (Wadas et al, 2016). For more information see Krawczyk et al (2013) and .…”

Section: Shear Wave Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…30 m below surface due to a relatively poor resolution, but for instance shear waves (S wave) are able to image the near-surface in high resolution (Dobecki and Upchurch, 2006;Krawczyk et al, 2012;Polom et al, 2016b;Wadas et al, 2016). Interpretation of near-surface faults and structures from the surface down to ca.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Structural analysis of S-wave seismics around an urban sinkhole: evidence of enhanced dissolution in a strike-slip fault zone

Wadas¹,

Tanner²,

Polom³

et al. 2017

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. In November 2010, a large sinkhole opened up in the urban area of Schmalkalden, Germany. To determine the key factors which benefited the development of this collapse structure and therefore the dissolution, we carried out several shear-wave reflection-seismic profiles around the sinkhole. In the seismic sections we see evidence of the Mesozoic tectonic movement in the form of a NW-SE striking, dextral strike-slip fault, known as the Heßleser Fault, which faulted and fractured the subsurface below the town. The strike-slip faulting created a zone of small blocks ( <100 m in size), around which steep-dipping normal faults, reverse faults and a dense fracture network serve as fluid pathways for the artesian-confined groundwater. The faults also acted as barriers for horizontal groundwater flow perpendicular to the fault planes. Instead groundwater flows along the faults which serve as conduits and forms cavities in the Permian deposits below ca. 60 m depth. Mass movements and the resulting cavities lead to the formation of sinkholes and dissolutioninduced depressions. Since the processes are still ongoing, the occurrence of a new sinkhole cannot be ruled out. This case study demonstrates how S-wave seismics can characterize a sinkhole and, together with geological information, can be used to study the processes that result in sinkhole formation, such as a near-surface fault zone located in soluble rocks. The more complex the fault geometry and interaction between faults, the more prone an area is to sinkhole occurrence.

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Section: Releasing Bendmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: Releasing Bendmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Shear Wave Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Structural analysis of S-wave seismics around an urban sinkhole: evidence of enhanced dissolution in a strike-slip fault zone

Wadas¹,

Tanner²,

Polom³

et al. 2017

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…The model results suggest that the observed distribution of sinkhole depth / diameter values in each material type may partly reflect sinkhole growth trends. Parise and Gunn, 2007;Waltham et al, 2005). Depending on the properties of the overburden (cover or caprock) and the evolution stages, different sinkhole morphologies can be described.…”

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confidence: 99%

Answers to interactive comments Rev. 1

Al-Halbouni¹

2018

Preprint

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Mechanical and/or chemical removal of material from the subsurface may generate large subsurface cavities, the destabilisation of which can lead to ground collapse and the formation of sinkholes. Numerical simulation of the interaction of cavity growth, host material deformation and overburden collapse is desirable to better understand the sinkhole hazard but is a challenging task due to the involved high strains and material discontinuities. Here, we present 2-D distinct element method numerical simulations of cavity growth and sinkhole development. Firstly, we simulate cavity formation by quasi-static, stepwise removal of material in a single growing zone of an arbitrary geometry and depth. We benchmark this approach against analytical and boundary element method models of a deep void space in a linear elastic material. Secondly, we explore the effects of properties of different uniform materials on cavity stability and sinkhole development. We perform simulated biaxial tests to calibrate macroscopic geotechnical parameters of three model materials representative of those in which sinkholes develop at the Dead Sea shoreline: mud, alluvium and salt. We show that weak materials do not support large cavities, leading to gradual sagging or suffusion-style subsidence. Strong materials support quasi-stable to stable cavities, the overburdens of which may fail suddenly in a caprock or bedrock collapse style. Thirdly, we examine the consequences of layered arrangements of weak and strong materials. We find that these are more susceptible to sinkhole collapse than uniform materials not only due to a lower integrated strength of the overburden but also due to an inhibition of stabilising stress arching. Finally, we compare our model sinkhole geometries to observations at the Ghor Al-Haditha sinkhole site in Jordan. Sinkhole depth / diameter ratios of 0.15 in mud, 0.37 in alluvium and 0.33 in salt are reproduced successfully in the calibrated model materials. The model results suggest that the observed distribution of sinkhole depth / diameter values in each material type may partly reflect sinkhole growth trends.

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Near‐surface three‐dimensional multicomponent source and receiver S‐wave survey in the Tannwald Basin, Germany: Acquisition and data processing

Burschil

Buness

Schmelzbach

2022

Near Surface Geophysics

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Shallow 3‐D reflection seismic surveys using S‐waves have rarely been carried out, even though S‐waves can provide higher resolution subsurface images than P‐waves. We conducted a 3‐D near‐surface multicomponent source and receiver survey in Quaternary sediments. We employed a small electrodynamic seismic source with a horizontal shaking unit operated in two orientations. Three‐component geophones in an orthogonal layout covering an area of 117×99 m2 were used for recording. Changes in weather and ground conditions, including freezing and thawing during acquisition, directly influenced the data quality and resulted in discernible relative time shifts in the data. Our seismic processing flow included a four‐component rotation of the data from the Cartesian acquisition geometry into the ‘natural’ coordinate frame to orient sources and receivers in radial or transverse orientation to separate different S‐wave polarizations. The rotation increased the signal strength and helped, for example, to improve the quality of the images of the basin base. The irregular offset distribution in the common midpoint gathers impedes filtering to suppress surface waves in the f–k domain. We, therefore, applied a common‐reflection surface processing flow. After regularization, we could better remove the energy of the surface waves. Both stacked 3‐D S‐wave volumes of vertical and horizontal polarizations provide images of the Quaternary overdeepened Tannwald Basin that was partly known from previous P‐ and S‐wave 2‐D surveys. Compared to a P‐wave profile adjacent to the volume, however, the S‐wave volumes provide higher resolution images of the basin base and internal structure. The basin base is well mapped in three dimensions and shows undulations that were not obvious from the P‐wave data. Comparing the S‐wave volumes of different polarizations, we find only minor differences in the stacks and interpretations.

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High-resolution shear-wave seismic reflection as a tool to image near-surface subrosion structures – a case study in Bad Frankenhausen, Germany

Cited by 32 publications

References 65 publications

Structural analysis of S-wave seismics around an urban sinkhole: evidence of enhanced dissolution in a strike-slip fault zone

Structural analysis of S-wave seismics around an urban sinkhole: evidence of enhanced dissolution in a strike-slip fault zone

Answers to interactive comments Rev. 1

Near‐surface three‐dimensional multicomponent source and receiver S‐wave survey in the Tannwald Basin, Germany: Acquisition and data processing

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