Seismic exploration

Claim 1

A method of seismic exploration in a medium which comprises the steps of: a. providing a transmitter of long seismic signals formed of a series of discrete impulses and causing this transmitter to travel in a continuous manner relative to the medium, b. providing at least one receiver for reflected seismic signals and causing it to travel relative to the medium, at a constant distance from the transmitter, c. providing a recorder for signals received by said receiver and means for intercorrelating portions of the transmitted and received signals, d. operating said transmitter so that it transmits into said medium seismic signals which are received by said medium after having been reflected back through said medium by at least one seismic reflector, the transmission time of each said long signal being at least equal to the travel time of the seismic signals which reach said receiver by way of the furthest reflector, said transmitted signals following each other in a continuous manner and the received signals being recorded without interruption during the period of exploration along a selected area, and e. intercorrelating any portions of the transmitted signals with corresponding portions of the received signals as recorded to obtain trace information relating to successive points along each reflector explored.

Claim 2

A method of seismic exploration in a medium which comprises the steps of: a. providing a transmitter of long seismic signals formed of a series of discrete impulses and causing this transmitter to travel in a continuous manner relative to the medium, b. providing at least one receiver for reflected seismic signals and causing it to travel relative to the medium, at a constant distance from the transmitter, c. providing a recorder for signals received by said receiver and means for intercorrelating portions of the transmitted and received signals, d. operating said transmitter so that it transmits into said medium seismic signals which are received by said medium after having been reflected back through said medium by at least one seismic reflector, the transmission time of each said long signal being at least equal to the travel time of the seismic signals which reach said receiver by way of the furthest reflector, said transmitted signals following each other in a continuous manner and the received signals being recorded without interruption during the period of exploration along a selected area, and e. intercorrelating any portions of the transmitted signals with corresponding portions of the received signals as recorded to obtain trace information relating to successive points along each reflector explored.