Determination of dispersive phase velocities by complex seismic trace analysis of surface waves (CASW)

A method for deriving experimental dispersion curves of surface waves from active source recordings is presented. The method is based on the complex seismic trace analysis of surface waves (CASW) and is applicable when only two receivers are available. Reliable phase velocities are obtained when keeping the geophone interval smaller than one allowing both a velocity structure as local as possible to be derived and to avoid long geophone spreads which are difficult to handle in urban areas. A large number of velocity estimates for each frequency can be estimated, even when using only two sensors, allowing statistical validation of the results, and providing a statistically defined uncertainty interval to be used in the dispersion curve inversion. The method is tested using synthetic seismograms and applied to real-world data, showing that it provides reliable estimates of apparent phase velocities. Although a final conclusion cannot yet be drawn, its application to observed data suggests it has the potential to be a useful method for distinguishing different modes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.