1) seismic survey 2) seismic prospecting a prospecting method that makes possible the mapping of geological structures by creating seismic waves and observing the arrival time of the waves reflected from acoustic-impedance contrasts; the method involves emitting a surface signal, provided, for example by a small detonation of the impact of falling weight, that creates a shock wave, which travels down through the subsurface strate, is partially reflected at each stratum and is finally recorded at the earth's surface GRM: n. (1,2) References: GENresearch GENsurvey GENprospecting