Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2025, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (1): 189-199.doi: 10.11978/2024056CSTR: 32234.14.2024056

• Marine Geophysics • Previous Articles     Next Articles

OBN converted shear wave splitting analysis depicts the fracture distribution in the Xihu Sag in the East China Sea*

LI Yaqing(), LIU Miao, ZHAO Xiulian, CHEN Maogen, ZHU Baoheng, CHEN Linzhi, LI Zhenwei   

  1. Institute of Exploration and Development, SINOPEC Shanghai Offshore Oil&Gas Company, Shanghai 200120, China
  • Received:2024-03-13 Revised:2024-03-27 Online:2025-01-10 Published:2025-02-10
  • Contact: LI Yaqing

Abstract:

The orientation and intensity of fracture are important information for studying anisotropy, but they are difficult to identify through the conventional compression wave (P) of seismic data. In contrast, the shear wave splitting (SWS) caused by azimuth anisotropy in the converted seismic wave (PS) is helpful to characterize the strength and azimuth of fractures. In order to study the distribution characteristics of fractures in the Xihu Sag of East China Sea, the converted shear wave information recorded in four-component submarine nodes (ocean bottom nodes, OBN) was used to conduct SWS analysis. First, the principle of SWS and the layer-stripped method were introduced in detail. Then, the SWS analysis with the seismic data in the study area was carried out. The results show that in the shallow layer (0~3000 ms), the time delay of fast and slow shear waves is 3~5 ms, the average fracture direction is about 111°-117°, and the fracture similarity is as high as 80%~90%, which indicates that the fracture orientation is relatively concentrated. However, in the deep layer, the distribution of fracture is rather complex, for which the time delay is about 6~8 ms and the main azimuth is concentrated at 119°, but the fracture similarity is low (less than 50%) and the fracture direction is about 20°−40°, which indicates that the azimuth is not concentrated. The results show that NW-trending fractures are mainly developed in the shallow layer of the study area, and NW- and NE-trending fractures are mainly developed in the deep layer, which is consistent with the fault development directions obtained from the P results in the study area. The time delay gradually increases from the shallow to the deep part, indicating that the deeper the layer, the more intense the fracture develops. The time delay in the south of the study area is significantly higher than that in the north, indicating that the intensity of fracture in the south is higher than that in the north.

Key words: East China Sea, shear wave splitting, OBN converted shear wave, anisotropy, fracture characterization

CLC Number: 

  • P315