Enhancing P-wave velocity model at the Utah FORGE EGS site using traveltime tomography and full-waveform inversion of 2D DAS-VSP and 3D surface seismic data

  • Sea Eun Park
  • , Yun Ha Jung
  • , Nori Nakata
  • , Ju Won Oh*
  • , Ben Dyer
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Abstract

At the Utah FORGE enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) site, we enhance the P-wave velocity model to establish a more detailed structural model using an integrated approach involving 3D surface seismic data and 2D distributed acoustic sensing (DAS)-vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data. Accurate P-wave velocity models are crucial for effective microseismic monitoring, seismic hazard assessment, and efficient geothermal reservoir management. We first apply P-wave traveltime tomography to improve the previously published P-wave velocity model using 3D surface seismic data, achieving better agreement with observed first-arrival times. Subsequently, the model is further refined using 2D DAS-VSP data through acoustic full-waveform inversion (FWI) to obtain higher-resolution velocity structures by incorporating both direct and scattered seismic waves. The final velocity models from FWI are validated against independent well-log data, demonstrating that the updated models better represent key geologic features, such as alluvium transitions and the crystalline granitoid boundary. The findings show that combining surface seismic and DAS-VSP data significantly enhances the reliability of subsurface velocity models, paving the way for improved microseismic monitoring and EGS development at the Utah FORGE site.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)256-264
Number of pages9
JournalLeading Edge
Volume44
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2025.04.1

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
    SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

  • DAS
  • Distributed acoustic sensing
  • Full-waveform inversion
  • FWI
  • Geothermal
  • Seismic
  • Tomography

Quacquarelli Symonds(QS) Subject Topics

  • Earth & Marine Sciences
  • Geophysics
  • Engineering - Mineral & Mining
  • Geology

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