This research attempts to study, evaluate and compare performances between primary (P) wave seismic survey, using a shot gun source, and shear (S) wave seismic survey, using a wooden plank hammering both in technical and practical consideration.

Both of seismic reflection surveys were carried out in a prepared comparable condition on an area of volcanic tuff at the same experiment line. Except type of source and receiver, P- and S-wave signal were generated, introduced, and recorded with the same acquisition parameters. In addition, their in-house data processing work were also conducted by the same processing sequence.

Comparison between both results shows that performance of S-wave signal not only provides more broaden band of frequency, but also yields better quality, higher resolution, and goon continuity than that of P-wave as well. Besides, the interpreted result on S-wave stacked section also reveals that the unclear fault block features in P-wave stacked section should be reasonably interpreted as only a multiple-layer model with variant thickness.

However, with the fact that the S-wave survey consumes much time and working budget than of the P-wave one, therefore to obtain higher benefit to lost ratio, it is interested to apply P-wave survey as a routine work and randomly evaluated by the S-wave survey at some important parts. Not only does it can evaluate between each other but also it can assist correlation work between the apparent horizons in the seismic stacked section and rock boundaries observed from any drilling program.