Elastic Parameters from Compressional and Shear Wave Tomographic Survey: A Case Study from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract

An integrated P- and S-wave cross-borehole tomographic survey was performed in the city center of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the aim of exploring a karstic limestone area near an area that previously encountered cavities. Horizontally polarized shear waves were generated with two opposing, perpendicular strike directions and recorded with a multi-level, three-component receiver array. This allowed a high quality picking of the traveltimes, whereby the wave train reverses at the time of the S-wave arrival. In addition, high quality sparker generated P-waves were recorded. The P- and S-wave traveltimes were used to invert for two co-located tomograms. These tomograms enabled a better interpretation capability than a P- or S-wave tomogram on its own. The tomograms enabled the calculation of the elastic parameters, i.e., P- to S-wave velocity (Vp/Vs) ratio, Poisson's ratio, bulk modulus, Young's modulus and the shear modulus, on a 2D surface between the boreholes. This further aided the interpretation, as areas with limited traveltime accuracy and thus, an increase in tomographic error, could be easily identified, and the extent of a large cavity could be estimated. The interpretation of the tomograms was constrained by two additional boreholes, which provided more confidence on the delineation and location of cavities at depths. The survey shows the benefit of co-locating P- and S-wave tomography surveys.