Main Menu
Further understanding of the characteristic impedance coupling of explosives to rock
Cai Xiwei*, Su Weimin, Xu Hao and He Baoqing, BGP, CNPC
Summary
Extensive research in land seismic data acquisition has
focused on parameters such as shooting depth, charge
weight, and wavelet stability in relation to different seismic
exploration targets. Literature reviews reveal the general
conclusion that maximum elastic wave energy is generated
in rock by the detonation of an explosive if the ratio of the
characteristic impedance of the explosive to that of the
medium equals to 1. In contrast, field explorations have
shown that impedance coupling ratios greater than 1 can
get better shooting results than when the value is less than
or equal to 1. Here we report the results of field
investigations designed to elucidate the relationship
between impedance coupling and excitation energy. These
tests utilized explosives with different detonation velocities
and were conducted in an area with stable lithological
characters in the surface layer. From this investigations we
conclude that greater elastic wave energy is produced
when the rock impedance coupling ratio varies from 1.8 to
2.0; however, this energy decreases when the impedance
ratio is too high.
Introduction
Explosive sources are one of the main shooting modes in
land seismic exploration. Although extensive research has
been conducted on explosive source types, charge type,
charge weight, shooting depth and explosive lithology and
other parameters, there has been minimal focus on
explosive properties, detonation velocity characteristics
Figure 1: Position map of receiving and shooting points
(●Receiving hole ●barren hole ●source well)
© 2010 SEG
SEG Denver 2010 Annual Meeting
and explosive-rock coupling. Early impedance-coupling
tests were conducted by Harry R. Nicholls, et al.. in 1960.
Nicholls (1962) concluded that the maximum seismic
amplitude or energy is generated in a rock by the
detonation of an explosive if the charge diameter equals
the drill hole diameter and if the characteristic impedance
of the explosive equals that of the rock. Field seismic
explorations, by contrast, have shown that shooting with
mid to high detonation velocity explosives can yield better
data quality. In such cases characteristic impedance
exceeds 1. To further such qualitative observations we
undertook a field-based reexamination of the relationship
between impedance coupling and shooting energy.
Test sites and experimental procedure
We chose to test on a flat ground of 50m×50m in the area
with a stable low velocity layer bottom. A vertical
receiving-hole was drilled to a depth of approximately
about 35m. 8 borehole analog geophones with the same
interval of 5m were placed. An array of 288 single digital
geophones was laid on the ground (20m receiving interval;
5m from the receiving-hole and perpendicular to the
receiving line), and we distributed several shooting wells
of 2kg explosive with 5m interval. The explosives were
shot at a depth of 1m below water table. Figure 1 shows
the concrete positions of receiving and shooting points; all
explosives are the same charge type but have different
detonation velocities varying from 2000m/s to 8000m/s
with 500m/s increments.
137
Main Menu
Further understanding impedance coupling
Test data analysis
During the experiment process, the charges with
detonation velocities of 2000m/s and 6000m/s failed
because of packet problems; other charges were successful.
We first calculated the RMS amplitude of a certain time
window between first break arrival and reflection. We then
drew columnar sections of amplitude values vs. impedance
coupling ratios, with the detonation velocity as abscissa
and the RMS amplitude as vertical coordinates (Figure2).
Because the distance between each receiving point and
shooting points are adequate we suspect that the space
lengths are similar. It shows in Figure 2 that when the
impedance coupling ratio of first break arrival or
reflections is between 1.44 and 1.97 (detonation velocity
varies between 4500m/s and 5500m/s), it has the greatest
elastic wave energy. The energy decreases with further
increases of impedance coupling, but remains greater than
that produced by impedance coupling ratios less than 1.
In order to further verify this result, we have analyzed of
the amplitude energy of first break waves (far-field
wavelet) on single channel data recorded by borehole
receivers. We first calculated RMS amplitudes of first
breaks received by two receivers buried at 20m and 35m in
and then measured the coordinates of each source and
receiving wells as well as the receiving depth. Lastly, we
calculated the offsets of each source and receiver
respectively. The spacing distance was adjusted based on
the amplitude recorded by the receiver with the minimum
offset. We calculated the spatial correction coefficient of
all other recording channels based on the recording data
with a detonation velocity of 7000m/s. According to the
geometrical attenuation relationship that the amplitude of
-m
particle motion varies by propagation distance A∝r , the
attenuation of body wave propagating in the medium in
close distance meet the law A ∝ r-2; Therefore the two
different amplitude attenuations can be described by the
function below (Lin Dachao and Bai Chunhua, 2007):
A1 r (1)
= ( 2 )2
A2 r1
We can then determine the final space correction to all
amplitudes using correction coefficient calculated by the
function above. Figure 3 shows the relationship of RMS
amplitude with impedance coupling in boreholes 20m and
35m in depth, respectively. The left plot of figure 3 shows
the amplitude before corrections; no apparent relationship
between in amplitude variation and the maximum value
occurs at 6500m/s of detonation velocity. The right plot of
Figure 3 shows the same data after correction; the
maximum amplitude occurs in velocities varying from
© 2010 SEG
SEG Denver 2010 Annual Meeting
5000m/s to 5500m/s, which corresponds to an impedance
ratio between 1.72 and 1.97.
Explosives with different detonation velocities generate
different explosive equivalents because their charge
densities differ. Indoor experiments showed that the
explosive equivalent occurs at a detonation velocity of
5000m/s. Taken it as the reference, we normalized
processing on amplitudes of the other channels (see table
1). Figure4 shows the analysis of normalized value of
different impedance coupling. We plotted our four curves
in a graph together with previous experienced data (red
dashed line). From the graph we observe that the
maximum elastic energy occurs in the range of impedance
coupling from 1.8 to 2.0 which mean detonation velocity
varies from 5000m/s to 5500m/s. However, elastic energy
decreases with increasing impedance coupling ratio.
Conclusions
Factors including charge type, propagation medium and
path, medium coupling and detonation form all have
significant effects on the conversion of explosive energy to
seismic wave energy. The energy available per pound of
explosive is quite consistent and can thus be converted to
the same amount of seismic wave energy. Although
estimates of rock wall impedance based on drill core
density may entail some degree of inaccuracy, they can be
used to gain significant insight into the relationship
between impedance coupling ratios and elastic wave
energy.
This study modifies our understanding of the relationship
between explosive impedance coupling and elastic wave
energy and leads to several new conclusions.
Clay strata with low rock impedance ratios can generate
more powerful elastic wave energy when wall rock
impedance ratios are in the range of 1.8 to 2.0 and
detonation velocities vary from 5000m/s to 5500m/s.
Because impedance coupling ratios cannot exceed 1.8 in
excitation regions with high impedance coupling ratio
rocks such as granite and limestone, higher detonation
velocity explosives should be used to optimize results.
138
Main Menu

Further understanding impedance coupling

Figure2: Columnar sections of RMS amplitude against impedance coupling of first breaks and reflections (Above: first breaks, below:
reflections).

Figure 3: Columnar sections of RMS amplitude against impedance coupling received borehole 20m in depth (up: 20m, down: 35m, left:
before corrections, right: after corrections).

© 2010 SEG
SEG Denver 2010 Annual Meeting 139
Main Menu

Further understanding impedance coupling

Table 1: Normalized value of different impedance couplings

RMS amplitude after energy correction Normalized value

Impedance
Detonation
SN Coupling First First
velocity
Ratio 20m 35m Reflection 20m 35m Reflection
breaks breaks
1 0.84 2500 189.570 182.234 17.244 2.404 0.793 0.883 0.857 0.776

2 0.94 3000 174.104 181.782 17.455 2.502 0.728 0.881 0.867 0.808

3 1.19 3500 169.617 166.872 17.116 2.506 0.709 0.809 0.851 0.809

4 1.31 4000 149.026 143.903 16.234 2.371 0.623 0.697 0.807 0.766

5 1.44 4500 186.342 173.068 19.826 2.945 0.779 0.839 0.985 0.951

6 1.72 5000 214.538 195.128 19.850 3.075 0.897 0.945 0.986 0.993

7 1.97 5500 239.080 206.385 20.124 3.096 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000

8 2.48 6500 187.705 173.957 18.022 2.834 0.785 0.843 0.896 0.915

9 2.84 7000 174.628 171.604 17.700 2.674 0.730 0.831 0.880 0.863

10 3.26 8000 152.403 176.044 17.691 2.459 0.637 0.853 0.879 0.794

Figure 4: Amplitude trend graph of impedance coupling ratio.

© 2010 SEG
SEG Denver 2010 Annual Meeting 140
Main Menu

EDITED REFERENCES
Note: This reference list is a copy-edited version of the reference list submitted by the author. Reference lists for the 2010
SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts have been copy edited so that references provided with the online metadata for
each paper will achieve a high degree of linking to cited sources that appear on the Web.

REFERENCES

Lin, D., and B. Chunhua, 2007, Explosion seismic effect: Geological Publishing House, 66-68.
Nicholls, H. R., 1962, Coupling explosive energy to rock: Geophysics, 27, 305–316,
doi:10.1190/1.1439015.

© 2010 SEG
SEG Denver 2010 Annual Meeting 141