Application of Seismic Noise Interferometry to Extract High-Resolution P-Wave Reflectivity and Near-Surface Velocity Structure from Hydraulic Fracturing Data

Abstract

This study demonstrates the application of passive seismic interferometry, specifically through single-station autocorrelation, to extract high-resolution P-wave reflections from seismic data acquired during hydraulic fracturing. Using 10 h of continuous passive records from the Potiguar Basin, NE Brazil, we applied a processing sequence comprising a Gaussian smoothing filter and spectral whitening to eliminate source distortions and recover the empirical Green’s function. The resulting zero-offset seismic sections, constructed in 2D and projected into 3D, reveal continuous, coherent reflectors down to 2 s two-way travel time. While deeper reflectors correlate closely with legacy active-source profiles and regional geology, direct validation of the shallowest interfaces (<500 m, corresponding to Cenozoic cover and the upper Jandaíra Formation) remains interpretive due to the lack of local borehole or high-resolution shallow geophysical control in the uppermost 300 m. Additionally, Rayleigh-wave dispersion analysis from cross-correlations yielded an S-wave velocity model for the shallowest 180 m (Vs ≈ 1350 m/s), constrained by the maximum available array offset of 1450 m. These results highlight the efficacy of hydraulic fracturing-induced noise as a high-frequency source for exploration-scale reflectivity imaging, providing a non-invasive, potentially cost-effective tool to complement active seismic campaigns.