Application of active MASW study on irregular and undulated sloping terrain: a case study

Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) is a geophysical technique used for deciphering subsurface profiling by the determination of shear wave velocity. It is increasingly utilized in sloping terrain; however, its accuracy is limited by the presence of undulating or irregular topography. The study analysed the impact of undulating topography on sloping terrain using models of depressed and elevated topography. The surface waves lose more energy as depth, width, and steepness of the undulated topography increased. The study revealed that the elevated topography had a greater influence than depressed topography. The undulating topography in close proximity to the source resulted in a decrease in resolution dispersion, however the terrain located further away did not have a substantial impact. The study aims to identify suitable configurations that must be taken into account while identifying the subsurface characterization of a sloping terrain using the MASW.