Seismic sensor deployment apparatus, system, method, and applications
Apparatus and methods to operationally deploy land-based seismic nodes. An autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle includes apparatus for placing, monitoring, testing, servicing, and collecting nodes in a harsh environment such as, e.g., tundra or desert. Associated methods of node deployment and retrieval are disclosed including a ‘rollover deployment.’
1. A method for operationally deploying one or more land-based seismic sensors, comprising:
providing a moveable platform that is equipped to operationally deploy the one or more land-based seismic sensors;
deploying an N th seismic sensor of the one or more land-based seismic sensors in or on the ground at an N th seismic sensor deployment location and controllably moving the moveable platform and deploying an (N+1) th seismic sensor of the one or more land-based seismic sensors in or on the ground at an (N+1) th seismic sensor deployment location, until a desired number of seismic sensors are deployed in a first survey area;
retrieving a plurality of the deployed seismic sensors from the first survey area;
at least one of downloading collected data from and charging each of the retrieved plurality of seismic sensors;
transporting the retrieved plurality of seismic sensors to a new survey area during the data downloading and/or charging step; and
deploying the plurality of downloaded and/or charged seismic sensors in the new survey area, after the transporting step.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a seismic sensor-local environment for a respective one of the seismic sensors, prior to the step of deploying an Nth seismic sensor.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seismic sensor-local environment is a ground hole.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of deploying an Nth seismic sensor comprises pushing at least a part of an assembly of one the seismic sensors into the ground.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of deploying an Nth seismic sensor comprises drilling or screwing at least a part of an assembly of one of the seismic sensors into the ground.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of deploying an Nth seismic sensor comprises planting a pole or rod in the ground having a respective one of the seismic sensors attached thereto.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising testing the functionality of the Nth seismic sensor after the Nth seismic sensor is deployed and prior to navigating to the (N+1)th sensor deployment location.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving step comprises pulling one of the seismic sensors from the ground.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving step comprises reverse drilling or un-screwing one of the seismic sensors from the ground.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving step comprises grasping a planted pole or rod from the ground, the planted pole or rod having one of the seismic sensors attached thereto.