EGU25-13204, updated on 15 Mar 2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13204
EGU General Assembly 2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Acoustically Induced Seismoelectric Surface Waves at a Fluid-Saturated Sandstone Interface: Multi-Frequency Experimental Observations
Yukai Liu and David Smeulders
Yukai Liu and David Smeulders
  • Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Netherlands (y.liu3@tue.nl)

Seismoelectric (SE) methods are potentially interesting for subsurface characterization by exploiting the coupling between seismic waves and electromagnetic fields in fluid-saturated porous media. While traditional SE techniques have primarily focused on body-wave-induced signals, recent research has highlighted the significant advantages of surface wave-induced SE signals, including enhanced amplitudes and increased sensitivity to near-surface heterogeneities. These characteristics make surface wave-induced SE signals particularly valuable for detailed subsurface investigations.

We conducted controlled laboratory experiments using a water-saturated sandstone sample (19.7% porosity, 310 mD permeability) and a planar acoustic source to generate surface waves at a water-sandstone interface. SE signal variations were systematically measured as a function of receiver distance from the interface, and array-based measurements were performed to analyze the velocity and characteristics of the induced SE surface waves. High signal-to-noise ratio SE surface waves were successfully measured across multiple excitation frequencies (100 kHz, 200 kHz, 300 kHz, 400 kHz, and 500 kHz), demonstrating the robustness of the phenomenon across a broad frequency range.

Our results show that SE signals were only observed in the presence of the porous medium, confirming that they originate from the fluid-porous interface. The SE signal amplitude decayed rapidly with increasing distance from the surface, which is consistent with surface wave behavior. Notably, the SE waveforms exhibited propagation velocities matching those of acoustic surface waves. They showed significantly shorter durations and different frequency content than the corresponding acoustic signals, indicating potential for enhanced spatial resolution in subsurface imaging. Ongoing work focuses on extracting the dispersion and attenuation characteristics of the measured SE surface waves across different frequencies. These findings will provide a foundation for more effective geophysical workflows, particularly in scenarios requiring detailed near-surface characterization.

How to cite: Liu, Y. and Smeulders, D.: Acoustically Induced Seismoelectric Surface Waves at a Fluid-Saturated Sandstone Interface: Multi-Frequency Experimental Observations, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13204, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13204, 2025.