Time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation
The ice content of the subsurface is a major factor controlling the natural hazard potential of permafrost degradation in alpine terrain. Monitoring of changes in ice content is therefore similarly important as temperature monitoring in mountain permafrost. Although electrical resistivity tomography...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2010
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-243-2010 https://doaj.org/article/ab8f5b5c29894937a967678138bd9d0c |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:ab8f5b5c29894937a967678138bd9d0c |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:ab8f5b5c29894937a967678138bd9d0c 2023-05-15T16:37:09+02:00 Time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation C. Hilbich 2010-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-243-2010 https://doaj.org/article/ab8f5b5c29894937a967678138bd9d0c EN eng Copernicus Publications http://www.the-cryosphere.net/4/243/2010/tc-4-243-2010.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-4-243-2010 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/ab8f5b5c29894937a967678138bd9d0c The Cryosphere, Vol 4, Iss 3, Pp 243-259 (2010) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2010 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-243-2010 2022-12-31T14:00:37Z The ice content of the subsurface is a major factor controlling the natural hazard potential of permafrost degradation in alpine terrain. Monitoring of changes in ice content is therefore similarly important as temperature monitoring in mountain permafrost. Although electrical resistivity tomography monitoring (ERTM) proved to be a valuable tool for the observation of ice degradation, results are often ambiguous or contaminated by inversion artefacts. In theory, the sensitivity of P-wave velocity of seismic waves to phase changes between unfrozen water and ice is similar to the sensitivity of electric resistivity. Provided that the general conditions (lithology, stratigraphy, state of weathering, pore space) remain unchanged over the observation period, temporal changes in the observed travel times of repeated seismic measurements should indicate changes in the ice and water content within the pores and fractures of the subsurface material. In this paper, a time-lapse refraction seismic tomography (TLST) approach is applied as an independent method to ERTM at two test sites in the Swiss Alps. The approach was tested and validated based on a) the comparison of time-lapse seismograms and analysis of reproducibility of the seismic signal, b) the analysis of time-lapse travel time curves with respect to shifts in travel times and changes in P-wave velocities, and c) the comparison of inverted tomograms including the quantification of velocity changes. Results show a high potential of the TLST approach concerning the detection of altered subsurface conditions caused by freezing and thawing processes. For velocity changes on the order of 3000 m/s even an unambiguous identification of significant ice loss is possible. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice permafrost The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles The Cryosphere 4 3 243 259 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 C. Hilbich Time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
The ice content of the subsurface is a major factor controlling the natural hazard potential of permafrost degradation in alpine terrain. Monitoring of changes in ice content is therefore similarly important as temperature monitoring in mountain permafrost. Although electrical resistivity tomography monitoring (ERTM) proved to be a valuable tool for the observation of ice degradation, results are often ambiguous or contaminated by inversion artefacts. In theory, the sensitivity of P-wave velocity of seismic waves to phase changes between unfrozen water and ice is similar to the sensitivity of electric resistivity. Provided that the general conditions (lithology, stratigraphy, state of weathering, pore space) remain unchanged over the observation period, temporal changes in the observed travel times of repeated seismic measurements should indicate changes in the ice and water content within the pores and fractures of the subsurface material. In this paper, a time-lapse refraction seismic tomography (TLST) approach is applied as an independent method to ERTM at two test sites in the Swiss Alps. The approach was tested and validated based on a) the comparison of time-lapse seismograms and analysis of reproducibility of the seismic signal, b) the analysis of time-lapse travel time curves with respect to shifts in travel times and changes in P-wave velocities, and c) the comparison of inverted tomograms including the quantification of velocity changes. Results show a high potential of the TLST approach concerning the detection of altered subsurface conditions caused by freezing and thawing processes. For velocity changes on the order of 3000 m/s even an unambiguous identification of significant ice loss is possible. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
C. Hilbich |
author_facet |
C. Hilbich |
author_sort |
C. Hilbich |
title |
Time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation |
title_short |
Time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation |
title_full |
Time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation |
title_fullStr |
Time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation |
title_sort |
time-lapse refraction seismic tomography for the detection of ground ice degradation |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-243-2010 https://doaj.org/article/ab8f5b5c29894937a967678138bd9d0c |
genre |
Ice permafrost The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Ice permafrost The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 4, Iss 3, Pp 243-259 (2010) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/4/243/2010/tc-4-243-2010.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-4-243-2010 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/ab8f5b5c29894937a967678138bd9d0c |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-243-2010 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
4 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
243 |
op_container_end_page |
259 |
_version_ |
1766027456033062912 |