What Is a Seismic Survey?
A seismic survey is used to investigate Earth’s subterranean structure and is mainly used for oil and gas exploration. This method uses the principles of reflective seismology to acquire and interpret seismic data, which permits the estimation of the Earth’s composition. The technique is similar to that used by computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans, involving the analysis of seismic waves that travel through the Earth. When a seismic survey is conducted, seismic waves are usually generated by dynamite or by special vibrators mounted on trucks. These vibroseis trucks, as they are known, are often used if the use of dynamite could cause serious damage to the surroundings, such as in cavernous areas. The trucks use heavy metal plates weighing in at over 3 tons (2.72 metric tons) that are placed in contact with the ground, and which are then struck with heavy hammers.
