Inversions for MT data in 2D symmetrical anisotropic media

Introduction Ready and Renkin (1971) were the first to make the research on anisotropy problems in magnetotellurics (MT). The progress in the research is not evident because it is more complex and difficult than isotropic problems. Now, the one-dimensional (1D) anisotropy problems in MT have been well solved, while for the two-dimensional (2D) cases, the numerical solutions have only been obtained for some particular conditions (Ready and Renkin, 1975). As to the three-dimensional (3D) ani…

Inversions for MT data in 2D symmetrical anisotropic media

In the paper, a 2D symmetrical anisotropic medium whose strike agrees with one of the horizontal principal axes is considered to develop a corresponding inversion technique. In the specified conditions, if we assume an equivalent conductivity anisotropy in both the vertical and dipping directions, i.e., σ _zz=σ_yy, the differential equations obtained are formally the same as that for TE and TM modes in the 2D isotropic geoelectrical media. The same inversion technique as that in the 2D isotropic media can be employed to obtain the anisotropic conductivities. It means that the TE and TM inversion results in the isotropic media can be respectively thought as the resistivities in the two principal directions of the symmetrically anisotropic media, which has offered a new approach and a theoretical guidance for interpreting magnetotelluric data. And the inversion technique developed here is used to test the magnetotelluric data in the area of Tianzhu and Yongdeng in Gansu Province, so that the crust anisotropic geoelectrical structures in this region can be obtained. Foundation item: National Natural Science Foundation of China (40074010).