I- REFRACTED SEISMIC ENERGY

Principal concept
The seismic energy passing from one medium with velocity V 1 to another medium of velocity V2
through the boundary separating them will be shared; for simplicity, to mainly two parts. One
part is reflected back upwards
within the first medium, following
Reflection Reflection
the reflection’s law according to the
reflection’s coefficient. The other
part penetrates the interface and
propagates downwards within the
V1  V1 
second medium following Snell’s
law. Snell’s low controls the relation 2
between the angle of incidence V1 V2>V1 V2<V1 2
within the first medium and the Refraction
angle of refraction V2 within the Refraction
second medium that is with respect
to their velocities V1 and V2 as
Normal Case Rare Case
follows:
sin  1 sin  2

V1 V2 Reflection
In normal conditions we have V2 > V1, so , When the
angle of incidence is increased, that increases the
C C
refraction angle . It deviates away from the perpendicular
to the interface towards the interface. In rare abnormal cases V1
when V2 < V1, the angle will deviate towards the normal to 90º Refraction
be decreased, this condition is well explained later in the V2>V1
subject of “Low Velocity Layer”.
In the normal conditions if the angle of incidence is
increased, the angle of refraction will increase too. This procedure will continue until
reaches 90°. By this situation the angle of incidence is configured as the “Critical Angle” of
refraction , precisely when .
sin  c sin 90 o
, then  c  sin 1 Vn 
1
 
Vn Vn 1 Vn  1  Vn 1 

Reflections Last useful reflection from the first Last useful reflection from the second
layer, Refraction will over-ride the layer, Refraction will over-ride the
rest of the reflected energy. rest of the reflected energy.

Direct Arrivals

V1 C1 
Propagating
90° with V2

V2>V1 C2 
Propagating
90° with V3
After the
After indicated
this point no points,
more no energy
more energy
can
V3>V2 can penetrate theinterface
interface downwards.
penetrate the downwards.
All the energy propagates along the
All the energy flows along the
boundary meanwhile it is transmitted
boundary
upwards. and is transmitted
upwards.

Refracted Energy 1/6 Adell M. Abdulhakim

The refracted energy behaves at this situation in a different way.
1- No more energy could penetrate any more downwards to the lower layer. It could be
imagined as if it slides on the top of the interface but with velocity of the layer below it.
2- This must be too clear that the refracted energy propagates along the interface
boundary with the higher velocity that of the lower medium.
3- Moreover, at the same time as the refracted energy propagates along the interface
boundary it transmits continuously an upward travelling energy with the velocity of the
upper medium at a constant angle . That is why it is represented by a straight line.
The beginning of that transmitted energy is known as the “Initial Refraction”.
4- That energy strikes the surface at a distance XIR measured away from the energy
source point. All the arrivals of that energy will reach the surface with a constant
emergence angle .
5- The incident energy with angles greater than will be totally reflected upwards
following the reflection’s low, which means that it is impossible to penetrate the
interface downwards any more since their incident angles is greater than .

SP
Solid Facts
These solid facts should be
well known and clear to the
seismologist.
1- The direct arrivals take
place continuously since
the first instant of the
released energy.
2- Reflections as well will
take place and continue
too. It is obvious from the
plot that the direct arrivals x
are followed by the
reflected energy.
3- The reflections’ apparent
velocities are not constant
since their slopes are
different particularly at
short receivers’ distance.
4- Very far at about infinity
the reflections’ velocities
will be very close to that
of the direct arrivals.
5- Their energies are
relatively less than the
refracted one.
6- In spite of the direct
arrivals and the reflected
energy last continuously,
but they are of limited
use. t
7- The direct arrivals are
considered as a kind of
useless noise that masks some useful shallow reflections. Meanwhile, reflections are only
useful until certain distance that is identified as XIR.
It should be very clear that both of the reflected energy and the refracted energy arrive
together to the surface at a distance XIR measured from the energy source point, and they will
emerge with the same angle too. Their next arrivals reach the surface at increasing
distances, the reflected energy with increasing emergence angles, but the transmitted
refracted one will be with a constant emergence angle . It must be quite clear too that the
transmitted refracted energy will take less travel time than the reflected one to reach the

Refracted Energy 2/6 Adell M. Abdulhakim

surface. That is why refracted energy always overrides the reflected ones. The angle is the
beginning of receiving a useful transmitted refracted energy. That is why the reflected energy
is useless after the distance XIR. Moreover, refracted energy has much higher amplitude and
lower frequency (8 hz) than the reflected one; that is how we distinguish it. The angle is well
dependent on the velocities. The distance XIR is well related to both the angle and the
interface depth.
In all cases, the reflection’s spread must be shorter than XIR, while the refraction’s one starts at
XIR. For shallow subsurface investigations, the short refraction technique is successfully used. It
requires simple energy source, it covers deep subsurface zone, it provides precise results, and
it needs few simple processing tools.
If reflected energy is considered for investigating shallow depths, energy should be with a
considerable amount, it will cover very limited subsurface zone, and it will require particular
processing procedures. Developed reflection’s techniques are applied successfully for greater
depths. That is what will be mentioned in “Reflections” following this subject.

Refraction Applications:

The Initial Refraction that Overrides the Reflections

X IR  2Z tan 1
XIR is the first arrival distance of the initial transmitted refracted energy from a certain
interface. Meanwhile it is the maximum spread length for reflected energy from that interface.
2Z1
t IR 
V1 cos1
tIR is the expected arrival time for the initial transmitted refracted energy from a certain
interface. Meanwhile it is the maximum record length for reflected data from that interface.

wher 1  sin 1 V1 

 V2 

The First Refraction Time at a distance x

x cos  1  Z u  Z d  cos  1 x cos  1  Z u  Z d  V2  V1

2 2
tTr    
V2 V1 V2 V1V2

The Second Refraction Time at a distance x

x cos   Z 1u  Z 1d  cos  1  Z 2u  Z 2d  cos  2
tTr 2   
V3 V1 V2

Refractions Overrides the Direct Arrivals at distance XC

V2  V1
Xc  2Z1
V2  V1
At the distance XC both of the transmitted refracted energy and the surface direct arrivals will
arrive at the same time. After this distance the transmitted refracted energy will over-ride the
surface direct arrivals as it arrives earlier than them.

The Intercept Time

2 Z 1 cos  1
tI1  at x  0
V1

Refracted Energy 3/6 Adell M. Abdulhakim

Calculating Angle of Dip
A short refraction spread is required. Mutual two end shots should be used to distinguish the
velocities at both directions. Shooting up dip will show the velocity with a higher value, the
opposite is true. The dipping interface will be quite configured.
1  1 V1a    sin 1 V1b   
  sin   
2  V2a    V2b   

Calculating Depths t
a) With The Critical Distance XC
 x  V  V 
Z1   C1  2 1   ch.d . 2
 2  V2  V1 
 Z V  x  V  V 
Z 2   1 1  C 2  3 2   ch.d . 2
 V2  2  V3  V2 
XC1 XC2 x
b) With The Time Intercept Method “ti”
 t V 
Z 1   I 1 1  ch.d .   1
 2 cos  1 2 cos 
1  1 V1a    sin 1 V1b    , and is the angle of dip
where    sin   
2  V 2a    V 2b   

  Z 1  ch.d . 

Z2  tI 2   2  2 cos  1,3  
V2

1
   
  V1   2 cos  2 ,3 cos 
  Z 1  ch.d .  
Z 3  t I 3   2  2 cos     Z 2  2 cos    V3

1
  V1
1 , 4   V2 2 , 4
  2 cos  3 ,4 cos 
   
  Z 1  ch.d .  Z 
  2    Z3 
Z4  tI 4   2 cos  1,5   2
 2 cos  2 ,5     2 cos  3 ,5  
  V   V2   V 
  1  3

V4 1

2 cos  4 ,5 cos 
  Z  ch.d .  
t I 5   1 2  2 cos     Z 2  2 cos     Z 3  2 cos    
  V1
1 ,6 
 V2
2 ,6
  V3
3 ,6
 
Z5     
 Z  
 4  2 cos  4 ,6  
 V4  
tI2
V5 1

2 cos  5 ,6 cos  tI1

Refracted Energy 4/6 Adell M. Abdulhakim

   Z  ch.d .  
t I 6   1 2  2 cos     Z 2  2 cos     Z 3  2 cos    
  V1
1 ,7 
 V2
2 ,7
  V3
3 ,7
 
Z6     
 Z  Z  
 4  2 cos  4 ,7    5  2 cos  5 ,7  
 V4   V5  
V6 1

2 cos  6 ,7 cos 
Why at distances >XIR refracted energy arrives earlier than the reflected one and over-rides it?

The pass ABC represents a reflected energy and ADE also. DE represents a refracted energy.
The pass AGJ represents another reflected energy, while the pass ADIJ represents a refracted
energy that arrived to the point J earlier than the reflected one, why? Draw from D the
perpendicular to AG and the same from I to GJ. The travel time AD equals AF. Also IJ equals HJ.
Now while the reflected energy travels from F to G by V 1, and from G to H by V1; the refracted
energy travelled from D to G to I by V 2. Considering that V2>V1, the travel time DGI < FGH due
the difference in velocities.

Why refraction is impossible at > ?

Assume any angle > , i.e. sin >sin
But sin =V1/V2, meanwhile sin = V1/V2
This means that either = , if not V1 of > V1 of , or V2 of < V2 of which is illogic.

Refracted Energy 5/6 Adell M. Abdulhakim

 At the interface between V1 and V2 there is The interface between V2 and V3
no chance to develop a critical angle, provides critical angle conditions,
hence no upward refractions are hence upwards refractions can create
expected. We have only reflections. total reflections upwards.

V1

V2<V1 C2 

V3>V2

Vague data of two

reflection events
from the two
interfaces.

Refracted Energy 6/6 Adell M. Abdulhakim