Measuring Basal Force Fluctuations of Debris Flows Using Seismic Recordings and Empirical Green's Functions

We present a novel method for measuring the fluctuating basal normal and shear stresses of debris flows by using along‐channel seismic recordings. Our method couples a simple parameterization of a debris flow as a seismic source with direct measurements of seismic path effects using empirical Green's functions generated with a force hammer. We test this method using two large‐scale (8 and 10 m³) experimental flows at the U.S. Geological Survey debris‐flow flume that were recorded by dozens of three‐component seismic sensors. The seismically derived basal stress fluctuations compare well in amplitude and timing to independent force plate measurements within the valid frequency range (15–50 Hz). We show that although the high‐frequency seismic signals provide band‐limited forcing information, there are systematic relations between the fluctuating stresses and independently measured flow properties, especially mean basal shear stress and flow thickness. However, none of the relationships are simple, and since the flow properties also correlate with one another, we cannot isolate a single factor that relates in a simple way to the fluctuating forces. Nevertheless, our observations, most notably the gradually declining ratio of fluctuating to mean basal stresses during flow passage and the distinctive behavior of the coarse, unsaturated flow front, imply that flow style may be a primary control on the conversion of translational to vibrational kinetic energy. This conversion ultimately controls the radiation of high‐frequency seismic waves. Thus, flow style may provide the key to revealing the nature of the relationship between fluctuating forces and other flow properties

Measuring Basal Force Fluctuations of Debris Flows Using Seismic Recordings and Empirical Green's Functions

We present a novel method for measuring the fluctuating basal normal and shear stresses of debris flows by using along‐channel seismic recordings. Our method couples a simple parameterization of a debris flow as a seismic source with direct measurements of seismic path effects using empirical Green's functions generated with a force hammer. We test this method using two large‐scale (8 and 10 m³) experimental flows at the U.S. Geological Survey debris‐flow flume that were recorded by dozens of three‐component seismic sensors. The seismically derived basal stress fluctuations compare well in amplitude and timing to independent force plate measurements within the valid frequency range (15–50 Hz). We show that although the high‐frequency seismic signals provide band‐limited forcing information, there are systematic relations between the fluctuating stresses and independently measured flow properties, especially mean basal shear stress and flow thickness. However, none of the relationships are simple, and since the flow properties also correlate with one another, we cannot isolate a single factor that relates in a simple way to the fluctuating forces. Nevertheless, our observations, most notably the gradually declining ratio of fluctuating to mean basal stresses during flow passage and the distinctive behavior of the coarse, unsaturated flow front, imply that flow style may be a primary control on the conversion of translational to vibrational kinetic energy. This conversion ultimately controls the radiation of high‐frequency seismic waves. Thus, flow style may provide the key to revealing the nature of the relationship between fluctuating forces and other flow properties

Gravity gradiometry and seismic interpretation integration using spatially guided fuzzy c-means clustering inversion

Gravity gradiometry has been used as a geophysical tool to image salt structure in hydrocarbon exploration. The knowledge of the location, orientation, and spatial extent of salt bodies helps characterize possible petroleum prospects. Imaging around and underneath salt bodies can be challenging given the petrophysical properties and complicated geometry of salt. Methods for imaging beneath salt using seismic data exist but are often iterative and expensive, requiring a refinement of a velocity model at each iteration. Fortunately, the relatively strong density contrast between salt and background density structure pro- vides the opportunity for gravity gradiometry to be useful in exploration, especially when integrated with other geophysical data such as seismic. Quantitatively integrating multiple geophysical data is not trivial, but can improve the recovery of salt body geometry and petrophysical composition using inversion. This thesis provides two options for quantitatively integrating seismic, AGG, and petrophysical data that may aid the imaging of salt bodies. Both methods leverage and expand upon previously developed deterministic inversion methods. The inversion methods leverage seismically derived information, such as horizon slope and salt body interpretation, to constrain the inversion of airborne gravity gradiometry data (AGG) to arrive at a density contrast model. The first method involves constraining a top of salt inversion using slope in a seismic image. The second method expands fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering inversion to include spatial control on clustering based on a seismically derived salt body interpretation. The effective- ness of the methods are illustrated on a 2D synthetic earth model derived from the SEAM Phase 1 salt model. Both methods show that constraining the inversion of AGG data using information derived from seismic images can improve the recovery of salt