SEI announces the addition of the latest geophysical tool to our ever expanding geophysical capabilities: Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW).
MASW is the latest advancement in seismic survey methods that is rapidly becoming the preeminent seismic tool for engineering geology. MASW uses the dispersive nature of surface waves to map the values of shear wave velocities (Vs) of the underlying soil and rock layers. These shear-wave velocities correlate well to density, and are a common proxy where drilling may be too costly, time consuming, or impossible.
The depth of investigation is typically about 50% of the distance of the geophone spread along the surface and does not suffer the same velocity inversion problems as other seismic methods do. Therefore, this method is perfect for detecting weak zones and voids. The results are typically provided as interpolated cross-sections of shear-wave velocity along the transect lines generated from dozens of individual “shots” and are GPS referenced for easy boring location and correlation. The data provided by the MASW method is quantitative in nature, with little room for error in interpretation.