Evaluation of Passive Seismic Imaging by Comparison with Active-Source Results in the Larsemann Hills, Antarctica

Abstract

Abstract In Antarctica, more than 98% of the continent is covered by ice sheets. Seismic exploration is recognized as one of the most effective methods for high-resolution imaging of ice sheets and the underlying bedrock. However, conducting active-source seismic surveys remains highly challenging due to the extreme environmental conditions and limited logistical support. Passive seismic exploration, which does not require active sources, has therefore emerged as a promising approach for efficient seismic investigations on Antarctic ice sheets. However, its imaging capability under field conditions still requires direct validation against active-source results. This study provides a field-scale validation of passive seismic imaging by directly comparing passive results with co-located active-source results acquired along a survey line on the ice sheet in the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. Two seismic processing workflows are developed for surface-wave and body-wave imaging. For surface waves, least-squares noise suppression and beamforming-based stationary-phase selection are used to improve the quality of reconstructed virtual shot gathers. Multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) is conducted on both active and passive datasets, and the resulting dispersion characteristics and inverted shear-wave velocity models show strong consistency. For body-wave imaging, conventional reflection processing techniques used for active-source data are adapted for virtual shot gathers retrieved from passive recordings. The stacked passive seismic profile reproduces the main reflection events observed in the active-source profile, particularly the ice-bed interface and shallow reflections within the bedrock. These comparative results demonstrate that, in the Larsemann Hills region of Antarctica, passive seismic methods provide an environmentally sustainable, cost-effective, and reliable alternative to active seismic surveys for large-scale imaging of ice sheets and shallow bedrock structures.