SEGJ Technical Conference


Microtremor and surface wave measurements using MEMS accelerometer sensors


Abstract
Recent improvements in servo type accelerometers and MEMS type accelerometer sensors have enabled us to utilize them to the geophysical field measurements, for example, microtremor array measurements, and multichannel surface wave surveying but also seismic reflection survey. We tested two types of accelerometer sensors whether they could provide reliable data emulative to the conventional low-frequency moving-coil type geophones. In conclusions, a servo type accelerometer was verified as practical for the microtremor array measurements. In contrast, a MEMS sensor was not suitable for surface wave survey due to its low S/N characteristics. It is essential to make an array or group configuration to improve S/N and also dynamic ranges when using MEMS sensors.