refraction survey

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | 548 words | Copyright

refraction survey A field investigation in which seismic head waves are used to study subsurface geologic structures. Seismic waves travel down from a source to an interface, where they are critically refracted along the boundary and reradiated back to the surface, and detected by a geophone array. The travel times of the first breaks are plotted on a travel-time graph, from which depths to the refractor, its dip, and the velocities of the layers encountered can be calculated. See SNELL'S LAW. See also CROSS-OVER DISTANCE; and INTERCEPT TIME.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "refraction survey." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "refraction survey." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-refractionsurvey.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "refraction survey." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-refractionsurvey.html

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