Papers - Seismic Methods - Seismogrqph Prospecting for Oil - Theory of Seismic Reflection Prospecting

The method of seismic reflection prospecting has many times been compared to sound ranging, a process that became familiar to many during the World War. According to this very simple theory, the dynamite goes off and sends out a compression wave, which meets a reflecting horizon and returns to the surface, where it is recorded and the elapsed time of its travel in the earth accurately determined. Computations are then made on the general theory that the longer the elapsed time, the greater the depth of the reflecting bed. While this serves to give an idea of the fundamental basis of the process, it suggests a simplicity that does not exist in the life history of the various waves set up by a dynamite explosion in the earth. To begin with, a seismic wave in the earth does not obey the same simple laws of propagation that apply to a sound wave in the air. The property of strength in shear possessed by solids introduces a factor that sets such waves apart from the ordinary air waves. Also, the transmission charactcristics of the earth vary widely from place to place, and a fairly accurate knowledge of the space relationships of these variations is necessary if the final results are to be understood. Besides the waves recorded and used in the reflection computations, there are many