Seismic methods can monitor transient ground water by detecting changes in seismic velocity.
Compressional and shear wave velocities respond to changes in the bulk modulus, shear modulus and density caused by the presence of water. We present three methods that allow these small perturbations in seismic velocities to be tracked through time in a field setting. Compressional velocities are tracked using differences in first arrival traveltimes. The shear velocities and subsequent perturbations are calculated from surface wave frequency components. A simple inversion scheme allows these velocities to be tracked as a function of depth below the surface.