Elevation static correction is an important step in seismic data processing used to eliminate distortions in events caused by surface fluctuations. There is a well-established processing sequence for active-source seismic data, with static correction applied first, followed by subsequent processing. For passive-source data, static correction can be carried out using two methods. The first method is similar to the static correction of active-source seismic data and involves performing static correction on virtual shot gathers. The second method involves directly applying static correction to ambient noise and then using the corrected ambient noise to retrieve the virtual shot gathers. In this study, we derived and compared these two methods to perform static correction on passive-source data. We compared the above two methods through the forward modeling of passive-source data and field data from the Daqiao Gold Mine. The results showed that applying static correction to ambient noise and virtual shot gathers can correct passive-source data from an undulating surface to a flat surface. The equivalence of static correction on virtual shot gathers, and ambient noise offers more choices for conducting static correction of passive-source seismic reflection exploration on undulating surfaces.

Antarctic drilling projects provide critical information for investigating ice-sheet stability, reconstructing paleoclimate evolution, and characterizing subglacial geological structures through ice-core and bedrock recovery. Drilling site selection currently relies on high-resolution geophysical methods such as radio echo sounding and active-source seismic methods; however, radar imaging near the ice–bedrock interface is limited by electromagnetic attenuation, while active-source seismic methods in polar regions are constrained by logistical complexity and high cost. To address these limitations, this study proposes a passive integrated imaging approach that integrates P-wave responses and vertical-component Rayleigh-wave information retrieved from continuous ambient noise recordings near drilling sites using seismic interferometry. Based on their distinct propagation characteristics, signal selection and processing workflows are developed to jointly image near-surface firn structure, ice-sheet thickness, and subglacial bedrock structure. Application to the Princess Elizabeth Land drilling project in East Antarctica demonstrates that high- signal-to-noise-ratio P-wave responses and vertical-component Rayleigh-wave signals can be retrieved from as little as 24 h of ambient noise data, while stacking the full 20-day record further suppresses incoherent noise and yields more reliable imaging of the ice–bedrock interface. These results indicate that passive seismic imaging provides a rapid, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly complement for drilling site selection and operational support.