VIBRATOR PERFORMANCE MONITOR

In geophysical prospecting where a number of earth vibrators are simultaneously used to inject predetermined seismic wave trains into the earth, electrical and mechanical malfunctions cause the vibrators to loose synchronization so that destructive interference occurs between the injected signals seriously degrading the seismic information. This problem is solved by monitoring each vibrator's injected signal and producing audio-visual warnings to the equipment operators when injected signals differ from the predetermined seismic wave train signal by an amount and in a manner indicative of faulty vibrator performance. The warnings are produced at two levels of faulty vibrator operation. At the first, or low level, the vibrator operator can take remedial action while the vibrator continues in operation. At the second, or high level, continued operation of the faulty vibrator will seriously affect the seismic data quality and therefore the operator stops his vibrator and removes it for repair. At the option of the operator, an automatic vibrator cutoff circuit is actuated which prevents continued vibrator operation when a serious fault is detected.