PAULESI, UI, Nigeria.

PPG 713 Subsurface Geology, Prospect Generation and

Well Proposition.

Amna Hussein Omer PAU-UI-0547

Use Snell’s law to answer this question.
I’m planning a seismic survey in shallow
water survey (40m) and my near trace
offset is 200 m. Will I record a clean
reflection from the water bottom
(without interference from the head
wave) Water velocity is 1500 m/s and
velocity of sediments just below water
bottom is 1700 m/s.

critical angle is defined as the angle of equation for predicting the critical angle
incidence that provides an angle of can be derived. The derivation is shown
refraction of 90-degrees. The actual value below.
of the critical angle is dependent upon the
combination of materials present on each vi ˣ sine(θi) = vr ˣ sine (θr)
side of the boundary.
vi sine(θcrit) = vr ˣ sine(90 degrees)
We have two different media - creatively
vi ˣ sine(θcrit) = vr
named medium i (incident medium) and
medium r (refractive medium). The critical
angle is the θi that gives a θr value of 90- sine(θcrit) = vr/vi
degrees. If this information is substituted
into Snell's Law equation, a generic θcrit= sine-1 (vr/vi) = inv.sine (vr/vi)
 vi sine(θcrit) = vr ˣ sine(90 degrees) calculated. Mathematically, this would
involve finding the inverse-sine of a
vi ˣ sine(θcrit) = vr number greater than 1.00 - which is not
possible. Physically, this would involve
sine(θcrit) = vr/vi finding the critical angle for a situation in
which the wave is traveling from the less
θcrit= sine-1 (vr/vi) = inv.sine (1500/1700)= dense medium into the denser medium in
61.88
which the wave will undergo total internal
Incident wave reflection. Head waves which have an
interference character are very important
𝑂𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑒 100 in many applications in seismic
𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝑖 = =
𝐻𝑦𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑠 √1002 + 402 prospecting and in refraction studies of the
= 0.92847669088526 earth's crust. Theoretical studies of
properties of these waves are still in their
𝑖 = 𝑆𝑖𝑛−1 (0.92847669088526)
initial stage, and only recently have a
= 68.199 few papers dealing with some types of
Reflected wave: waves Here we shall investigate only
one type of head wave which has an
𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝑖 𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝑟 𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝑖 𝑉
= or 𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝑟 = 𝑉1 interference character. This head wave
𝑉1 𝑉2 2
exists when the velocity below the plane
𝑉2 𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝑖 1700 × 𝑆𝑖𝑛68.199 interface is not constant but increases
𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝑟 = =
𝑉2 1500 slightly with depth.
= 1.05227659116777 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒
In this case there is only one plane
−1
𝑟 = 𝑆𝑖𝑛 1.05227659116777 = 1.570 interface and that the source and receiver
lie in the first medium, at distances
200m and 40m from the interface,
Interpretation: respectively. The compressional velocity
in the first medium, is to be constant,
I will record a clean reflection from the
whereas the compressional velocity in
water bottom (without interference from
the second medium increases linearly
the head wave)? Yes, you will record a
with depth according to the relation
clean reflection because the incident angle
is greater than the critical angle the depth below the interface = the
velocity of the second media time (1 +
The critical angle can be calculated by
velocity gradient times)
taking the inverse-sine of the ratio of the
indices of refraction. The ratio of vr/vi is a
value less than 1.0. In fact, for the equation
to even give a correct answer, the ratio of
vr/vi must be less than 1.0. Since TIR
(Total internal reflection) only occurs if
the refractive medium is less dense than
the incident medium, the value of vi must
be greater than the value of vr. If at any
time the values for the numerator and
denominator become accidentally
switched, the critical angle value cannot be