The effect of seasonal soil-moisture conditions on near-surface seismic reflection data quality

Baker et al. (1997) and Jefferson et al. (1998) observed over periods of days to weeks that short-term moisture variations near the earth's surface could have a significant impact on the quality and character of shallow seismic reflection data. Typically, these variations are attributed to differences in source and receiver coupling. However, changes in attenuation and in the propagation velocity of seismic energy in the upper 3 m of the subsurface are important additional factors when collecting seismic data, and they are independent of source and receiver effects. Data were collected five times at a test site in central Kansas over a period of 1 year to help quantify these additional factors.