THE USE OF SEISMIC SHEAR WAVES AND COMPRESSIONAL WAVES FOR LITHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF SHALLOW SEDIMENTS

From a great variety of in situ shear wave experiments, i.e., reflection, refraction and borehole surveys in the shallow sediments of the north German plains, several specific properties have been derived. Shear waves (S) differ from compressional waves (P) in that: Correlations have been established between V s and the confining pressure and between reduced V s values and several lithological parameters like the grain size of sandy material. More lithological and hydrological information is obtained by using S- and P-wave surveys along the same profile. The best information on a sedimentological structure is obtained by the simultaneous observation of V s , V p , Q s and Q p .