Study to Monitor Microseismic Activity to Detect Sinkholes

摘要

The results of a research program undertaken at Capital City Airport, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania to evaluate the feasibility of using seismic and acoustic emission/microseismic (AE/MS) techniques as a means of locating sinkhole-prone areas and monitoring current sinkhole stability are discussed. The report includes a review of the Capital City Airport sinkhole problem; a brief review of sinkhole phenomena and possible techniques for sinkhole detection and monitoring; a detailed description of the field studies carried out at the Capital City Airport site; a sinkhole monitoring philosophy based on the results of the airport studies; and an outline of additional studies required for the development of a prototype sinkhole-monitoring system. The results indicate that a combination of seismic and AE/MS techniques provide a feasible method for sinkhole detection and stability monitoring. Seismic techniques based on surface-wave attenuation provide a valid and convenient method for delineating sinkhole-prone areas.