Abstract: A real-time monitor which displays analog representations of digital seismic data having been recorded on magnetic tape such that adjacent seismic traces are partially overlapped, whereby the appearance of an error is enhanced and is disclosed. The monitor display is controlled by a computer which may be of a type similar to computers used in the seismic data storage system for other purposes so that it may serve as a back-up computer. This system is implemented by incorporating into magnetic tape data storage drives read-after-write circuitry so that the data put on the tape can be read off the tape immediately thereafter and used to control the monitor means. In this way, the monitor is in fact operating in real-time and operates on precisely that data which in on the tape; thus any errors displayed on the real-time monitor include any errors made in the actual recordation of the data onto magnetic tape.

Abstract: A seismic data generation and collection system is described for use in a exploration vessel for determining the subsea structure of the earth. A plurality of acoustic energy sources are towed behind the boat and acoustic waves are emitted therefrom by conventional means. The reflection at the subsea interfaces of the acoustic waves are picked up by the energy detectors which produce analog signals. These analog signals are then converted to digital data; multiple computers are used to reformat the data into a desired format. A real time monitor computer and monitor plotter may also be provided to assist the operator in evaluation of the operation of the system. The desired record format includes header information relating to the parameters under which the seismic shot was made, which may be written directly onto the magnetic tape containing the seismic data.