Software for physical modelling survey design and acquisition

Henry C. Bland, Paul R. MacDonald

The elastic modelling system simulates real-world seismic surveys in the laboratory. Models are typically constructed using materials of differing acoustic velocities (Plexiglas, aluminium). Two transducers are moved about the surface of the model by motorized arms running under computer control. One transducer operates as a transmitter and the other transducer operates as a receiver. The received data trace is recorded and stored on the computer in a manner that is identical to conventional seismic recording.

The physical modelling system has evolved over a period of ten years. During this time, its hardware has received incremental upgrades, but little work has gone into software. During the summer of 1999, the authors developed new software with the goal of improving the reliability of the system, adding a number of long-needed features, and making the program expandable and maintainable. The culmination of these efforts is a program for physical model survey design and acquisition called "PUMA", an acronym for "Physical Ultrasonic Modelling Acquisition".