Seismic source comparison for compressional and converted-wave generation at Spring Coulee, Alberta. Part II: Heavy vibroseis-dynamite-mini vibroseis comparison

Gabriela M. Suarez Barbero, Robert R. Stewart

Seismic data from three seismic sources were compared to investigate their characteristics and identify the best one for the Spring Coulee site in Southern Alberta. The sources employed included a mini vibroseis, which is a commonly used source for environmental and engineering applications. Comparison of raw shot gathers, spectral analysis and stacked sections showed that in the vertical channel, the mini vibroseis data was confined to the first 1.5 s, showing the same strong reflectors as in the dynamite and heavy vibroseis data. However, the mini vibroseis data showed a higher content of random noise, weaker look of the reflections, and lower resolution in comparison with the other two sources. For the radial channel, the mini vibroseis data is of much lower quality, with no energy below 1 s and discontinuous reflectors. From these results, we can conclude that the mini vibroseis is a good source for P-wave energy, but not very effective for converted-wave generation.