The present invention provides a system for, and method of determining vertical fractures in a stratum using scattered horizontal shear and vertical shear modes. The method may include segregating first order horizontal and vertical shear modes of a seismic energy wave into second order horizontal and vertical shear modes, defining a seismic energy wave corridor along a radial path between a seismic energy source and seismic receivers, and gathering seismic data received by the seismic receivers within the corridor, the data including the second order horizontal and vertical shear modes.