Detection and Imaging of Buried Wastes Using Seismic Wave Propagation

A new geophysical tool for high resolution subsurface imaging has been developed which has numerous applications in the field of hazardous waste management. The primary steps of the technique are: (1) An acoustic wave is projected through a subsurface cross section to a hydrophone array located vertically in a borehole; (2) the amplitude versus time signal of the propagating wave is collected at each hydrophone; and (3) the reduced wave equation and theory of backpropagation tomography are invoked to reconstruct the subsurface features from the collected data. The development of this emerging technology is highlighted beginning with its theoretical conception, through system development and field testing, to an examination of its future applications in environmental engineering.