Near-surface characterization using traveltime and full-waveform inversion with vertical and horizontal component seismic data

Seismic imaging of the shallow subsurface (approximately 5 m) can be very challenging when reflections are absent and the data are dominated by ground roll. I analyzed the transmission coda to produce fine-scale, interpretable vertical and horizontal component seismic velocity (V-P and V-SH) models using full-waveform inversion (FWI). Application of FWI is tested through imaging two buried targets. The first target is a pair of well-documented utility pipes with known diameters (0.8 m) and burial depths (approximately 1.5 m). The second target is a poorly documented former location of the pipe(s), which is now a backfilled void. Data are acquired along a 23 m 2D profile using a static array with single-component vertical and horizontal geophones. Our results indicate considerable velocity updates in the V-P and V-SH models across the pipes and backfill. The pipes appear as negative velocity updates in the final inverted V-P and V-SH models, whereas the backfilled area represents negative and positive velocity updates in the V-P and V-SH models, respectively. Variations of the polarities in the inverted models (V-P and V-SH) across the backfill can be indicative of the medium, which respond differently to the vertical and horizontal component seismic waves. The attenuation models show a general decreasing trend with increasing depth. Therefore, simultaneous applications of vertical (V-P) and horizontal (V-SH) component seismic velocity modeling can be an effective tool to understand the subsurface medium in near-surface characterization.