HIGH‐FREQUENCY SHALLOW SEISMIC REFLECTION MAPPING IN TIN MINING*

Field results of shallow seismic reflections obtained with a propane‐oxygen detonator (POD) are presented. The survey site was in a tin‐mining area of the Kinta Valley in Malaysia. The shallow and irregular limestone bedrock is overlain by alluvial “tailing” and virgin sediments. Sizes of such mining areas can range from about 320 ± 320 m² to 900 ± 900 m². The survey was intended to delineate the topography of the bedrock, which is of vital importance in tin ore exploration and exploitation. The equipment included single‐ and 12‐channel signal enhancement seismographs, the POD, a hammer and thumper. The inexpensive and portable POD generates directional waves of reproducible form, variable energy of high frequency, and only a few surface waves at short offsets. Reflections at around 200 Hz were obtained from the shallow bedrock at about 25 m as well as from very shallow lithological interfaces. The interpretation of seismograms is supported by drill‐hole lithological sections and synthetic seismograms. The data illustrate the successful use of shallow reflections for mapping irregular bedrock. Reflection seismics can provide better horizontal and vertical details than the refraction method. Further improvements based on the data‐processing flexibility of new signal enhancement seismographs and synthetic seismograms are suggested.