2021/22 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

SOEE5157M Applied Geophysical Methods

15 Credits Class Size: 40

Module manager: Dr Emma Bramham
Email: E.K.Bramham@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2021/22

Pre-requisite qualifications

Normal entry for the MSc

Module replaces

SOEE5156M

This module is not approved as an Elective

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- understand the general concepts of seismic wave propagation in the Earth; its theoretical description;
- the physical properties of rocks that control wave propagation, and its expression as travel-time formulae of reflected waves;
- understand the underlying physical principles that control the choice of acquisition parameters;
- review the methods used to process seismic reflection data from raw data through to final seismic sections; and
- understand the physical principles that underlie these methods and how they are applied.

These fundamentals progress to allow students to study the surveying techniques used to acquire seismic reflection data on land and at sea.

Syllabus

- Qualitative treatment of stress, strain, the strain and elasticity tensors; elastic parameters; potentials

- Wave types; the wave equation and its solutions; plane waves in three dimensions; basics of wave propagation; behaviour of plane wave amplitudes, factors controlling wave velocities; anisotropic wave propagation; travel-time distance relationships

- Summary of the application of Gravity and Magnetics

- Brief overview of seismic sources; CMP spread configurations and recorder types; receiver design; 3D surveying techniques; ambient and source-generated noise, seismic arrays; CMP technique

- Processing overview
- Transfer of data from the field to the workstation
- Data preparation, QC, and editing
- Navigation processing
- Field static corrections
- Deconvolution
- Velocity analysis methods; (normal moveout) NMO stretching and muting.
- Residual statics
- Post-stack enhancement
- FK filtering
- DMO
- Tau-p methods
- FX methods, multiple suppression
- Migration - principles, methods
- Prestack migration, 4D and PS surveys.

Teaching Methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	32	1	32
Private study hours			118
Total Contact hours			32
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150

Private study

Working on set problems, working up notes, directed reading, revision.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Feedback on coursework.

Methods of Assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
In-course Assessment	Paper-based exercises - 1	15
In-course Assessment	Paper-based exercises - 2	15
In-course Assessment	Paper-based exercises - 3	25
In-course MCQ	MCQ	5
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		60

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)	2.0 Hrs 0 Mins	40
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		40

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading List

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/06/2021

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team