Near-Surface VOID Detection using a Seismic Landstreamer and Horizontal Velocity and Attenuation Tomography

The detection and characterization of subsurface voids plays an important role in the study of karst formations and clandestine tunnels. Horizontal velocity and attenuation tomography (HVAT) using offset-fan shooting and a towed seismic land streamer is a simple, rapid, minimally invasive method that shows promise for detecting near-surface voids and providing information on the orientation of linear voids. HVAT surveys were conducted over a known subsurface steam tunnel on the University of Connecticut Depot Campus, Storrs, Connecticut. First-arrival travel-time and amplitude data were used to produce two-dimensional (2D) horizontal (map view) velocity and attenuation tomograms. In addition, attenuation tomograms were produced based on normalized total trace energy (TTE). Both the velocity and TTE attenuation tomograms depict an anomaly consistent with the location and orientation of the known tunnel; the TTE method, however, requires significantly less processing time, and therefore may provide a path forward to semi-automated, near real-time detection of near-surface voids. Further study is needed to assess the utility of the HVAT method to detect deeper voids and the effects of a more complex geology on HVAT results.