The spatial cross-correlation method for dispersive surface waves

Abstract

Dispersive surface waves are routinely used to estimate the subsurface shear-wave velocity distribution, at all length scales. In the well-known Spatial Autocorrelation method, dispersion information is gained from the correlation of seismic noise signals recorded on the vertical (or radial) components. We demonstrate practical advantages of including the cross-correlation between radial and vertical components of the wavefield in a spatial cross-correlation method. The addition of cross-correlation information increases the resolution and robustness of the phase velocity dispersion information, as demonstrated in numerical simulations and a near-surface field study with active seismic sources, where our method confirms the presence of a fault-zone conduit in a geothermal field. © The Authors 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society.