The complementarity of H/V and dispersion curves

In the geotechnical and seismic practice, S-wave velocity profiles are frequently derived from the inversion of dispersion curves of surface waves and single-station passive H/V curves, mostly using a blind joint fit of the two. Here we emphasize the benefits of carrying out H/V reconnaissance surveys prior to any array acquisition and data analysis. The premise is that H/V data manifest diagnostic characteristics indicative of key features of the subsurface structure, e.g., the presence of lateral heterogeneities, large impedance contrasts at shallow depths and velocity reversals. Equipped with such a prior knowledge, practitioners could make better-informed decisions about array acquisition geometries, source/surface wave types and inversion strategies, which are strongly conditioned from the subsurface structure. In the end, we present the key points into a best-practice workflow for combining H/V techniques and dispersion curve analyses.