Magnetotellurics and radio-wave interference sounding

The plane harmonic electromagnetic fields are considered in the theory of magnetotelluric methods in the range of frequencies from 0.0001 Hz to 20 kHz. These fields are natural by their origin and contain information on the depths from tens of meters up to 100 km and more. The magnetotelluric soundings, which use the fields of radio stations, expand the frequency band almost up to 1 MHz and make it possible to study the depths from the first few meters. The method of radio-wave interference sounding supplements geoelectric prospecting on plane waves into the range of even higher frequencies (up to 100 MHz). In this case, the conduction and displacement currents become comparable, which makes it possible to distinguish objects both by their electrical conductivity and by their dielectric permittivity. For the two-layered model of a medium, there exist simple kinematic methods of data interpretation of a radio-interferometry sounding. Within multilayer, and especially horizontally heterogeneous, media, methods for solving equations of electrodynamics and inverse problems of geophysics are required. In the present paper, the foundations of the theory of radio-interferometry sounding, the methodology, its role in geoelectric prospecting, and the opportunities for the solution of geological problems are discussed.     

Transient electromagnetic surveys with unimodal transverse magnetic field: ideas and results

The theory behind transient electromagnetic surveys can be well described in terms of transverse magnetic and transverse electric modes. Soundings using transverse magnetic and transverse electric modes require different source configurations. In this study, we consider an alternating transverse magnetic field excitation by a circular electric dipole. The circular electric dipole transmitter is a horizontal analogue of the vertical electric dipole. Offshore surveys using circular electric dipole might represent an alternative to the conventional marine controlled‐source electromagnetic method at shallow sea and/or for exploring relatively small targets. Field acquisition is carried out by recording either electric or magnetic responses. Electric responses bear information on the 1D structure of a layered earth and successfully resolve high‐resistivity targets in marine surveys. Land‐based circular electric dipole soundings are affected by induced polarisation. On the contrary, magnetic responses are absent on the surface of a 1D earth, and as a result, they are very sensitive to any and even very small 3D conductivity perturbations. In addition, they are sensitive to induced polarisation or some other polarisation effects in the subsurface. At present, circular electric dipole transmitters and magnetic receivers are successfully used in on‐land mineral and petroleum exploration.     

Simple relative space–time scaling of electrical and electromagnetic depth sounding arrays: implications for electrical static shift removal and joint DC-TEM data inversion with the most-squares criterion

A simple scaling relationship is shown to facilitate comparison, correlation and integration of data recorded using the common experimental configurations in electrical and electromagnetic depth sounding. Applications of the scheme to field data from typical geological and landfill environments show that it is robust and, where transient electromagnetic (TEM) data are available, enables easy identification and quantification of electrical static shift (galvanic distortion) in magnetotelluric and direct current (DC) sounding curves. TEM‐based procedures are suggested for both the direct removal of static shift in DC sounding curves and effective joint data inversion with the most‐squares criterion in the presence of static shift. A case study of aquifer characterization using sounding data from borehole sites in the Vale of York in England shows that static shift is a common problem in this glacial‐covered terrain and demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed joint DC‐TEM inversion strategy in handling distorted soundings.     

城市活断层探测中电磁噪音和环境干扰对浅层电磁方法的影响

城市噪音主要指由于城市设施和人类活动 (如电网、管线、通讯设备、建筑物、交通等 )对电磁信号的干扰。克服城市噪音、提高信噪比是保证城市活断层的电磁探测能否成功的关键。因而 ,在福州市活断层的电磁试验探测中 ,噪音观测与分析被列为试验的一项重要内容 ① 。文中将主要讨论不同类型的噪音对高密度电法 (DC)和瞬变电磁法 (TEM)的影响 ,并提出一些实用的解决办法。试验表明 ,影响高密度电法观测质量的主要因素是地下噪音源 ,如地下管道、地下电缆等 ,地面以上噪音的影响相对较小。对于瞬变电磁法 ,不管地面以下还是地面以上的噪音源都将产生影响。但是 ,只要仪器的性能好 ,对不同噪音源采取相应的措施 ,可以获得满意的结果     

Excitation of a half-space by a radial current sheet source

Some advantages and problems of the new geoelectrical prospecting method, i.e., vertical electric current soundings (VECS) are discussed. This method is based on using a new source, namely a circular electric dipole (CED). The source is installed by one of the transmitter poles grounded in the central point and the other pole uniformly grounded around with a radius determined by the depth of investigation desired. It can be defined as a noninductive source. The previous research was based on the diffusion approach. In this paper the author uses the solution with due regards for displacement currents in the frequency and time domain. A major disadvantage of the CED scheme is the need to provide a symmetrical grounding of the outer ring electrode. A possible way to avoid this requirement is to adopt an ungrounded CED array.     

Signal detectability of marine electromagnetic methods in the exploration of resistive targets

We compare selected marine electromagnetic methods for sensitivity to the presence of relatively thin resistive targets (e.g., hydrocarbons, gas hydrates, fresh groundwater, etc.). The study includes the conventional controlled‐source electromagnetic method, the recently introduced transient electromagnetic prospecting with vertical electric lines method, and the novel marine circular electric dipole method, which is still in the stage of theoretical development. The comparison is based on general physical considerations, analytical (mainly asymptotic) analysis, and rigorous one‐dimensional and multidimensional forward modelling. It is shown that transient electromagnetic prospecting with vertical electric lines and marine circular electric dipole methods represent an alternative to the conventional controlled‐source electromagnetic method at shallow sea, where the latter becomes less efficient due to the air‐wave phenomenon. Since both former methods are essentially short‐offset time‐domain techniques, they exhibit a much better lateral resolution than the controlled‐source electromagnetic method in both shallow sea and deep sea. The greatest shortcoming of the transient electromagnetic prospecting with vertical electric lines and marine circular electric dipole methods comes from the difficulties in accurately assembling the transmitter antenna within the marine environment. This makes these methods significantly less practical than the controlled‐source electromagnetic method. Consequently, the controlled‐source electromagnetic method remains the leading marine electromagnetic technique in the exploration of large resistive targets in deep sea. However, exploring laterally small targets in deep sea and both small and large targets in shallow sea might require the use of the less practical transient electromagnetic prospecting with vertical electric lines and/or marine circular electric dipole method as a desirable alternative to the controlled‐source electromagnetic method.     

Inversion of band-limited TEM responses

It is shown that the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is characterized by strong amplitude-modulated transmitters operating in the target bandwidth of transient electromagnetic (TEM) measurements. As these transmitters cause significant noise in TEM soundings, it is mandatory to band-limit the input signals to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and thereby the depth of exploration. Band-limitation will distort the TEM responses, which leads to erroneous inversion results if the applied low-pass filters are not accounted for in the inversion scheme. We incorporate the low-pass filters in the inversion scheme and test the inversion approach on theoretical and field data. Inversion of band-limited theoretical responses results in recovery of erroneous resistivity models if the filters are not included in the inversion scheme. By contrast, inversion of band-limited theoretical and field data, for which the applied low-pass filters are included in the inversion scheme, leads to recovery of similar resistivity models, independent of the applied cut-off frequencies.     

TUTORIAL DISTRIBUTION OF ALTERNATING ELECTRICAL CHARGES IN A CONDUCTING MEDIUM*

The main features of the distribution of volume and surface charges in a conducting medium can be described separately for direct and alternating electromagnetic fields. The density of charges depends on the conductivity of a medium and on the electrical field. The relation is particularly simple for the quasi-stationary field, i.e., when the influence of displacement currents is negligible. Conditions are formulated under which electrical charges arise in a conducting medium: electrical charges are shown to exist for direct and quasi-stationary fields when there is a component of electric field parallel to the gradient of conductivity. The density of these charges is proportional to the applied electric field.     

EXAMPLES OF RESOLUTION IMPROVEMENT IN GEOELECTRICAL SOUNDINGS APPLIED TO GROUNDWATER INVESTIGATIONS1

One simulation and two field examples from New Jersey illustrate resolution improvement in geoelectrical soundings applied to groundwater exploration. Layered-earth parameter resolution is derived from data obtained with the commonly used methods of resistivity, induced polarization (IP) and transient electromagnetic (TEM) soundings. Resolution improvement is achieved by simultaneous inversion of two or more data sets and by constraining parameters of the inverse problem. A quantitative analysis showing the contribution of IP data to the resolution of geo-electric sections is presented. Simultaneous inversion of simple IP data with conventional resistivity and resistivity-TEM data sets resulted in improved parameter resolution. IP data improved resolution in three ways: (1) by decoupling correlated layered-earth parameters, (2) by adding information to a geological interpretation about a second physical property, namely chargeability, and (3) by increasing the electrical information available.     

Marine transient electromagnetic sounding of deep buried hydrocarbon reservoirs: principles,methodologies and limitations

The possibility of a time‐domain electromagnetic sounding method using excitation and measurement of vertical electric fields to search for and identify deeply buried reservoirs of hydrocarbons offshore is investigated. The method operates on source–receiver offsets, which are several times less than the depth of the reservoir. Geoelectric information is obtained from the transient responses recorded in the pauses between the pulses of electric current in the absence of the source field. The basics of the method, as well as its sensitivity, resolution, and the highest accessible depth of soundings for various geological conditions in a wide range of sea depths, are analyzed. For the analysis, 1D and 3D geoelectric models of hydrocarbon reservoirs are used. It is shown that under existing technologies of excitation and measurement of vertical electric fields, the highest accessible depth of soundings can be up to 4 km. Technology for the inversion and interpretation of transient responses is demonstrated on experimental data.     

On the estimation of the maximum depth of investigation of transient electromagnetic soundings: the case of the Vizcaino transect,Mexico

We test an approach proposed in the literature for estimating the maximum depth of investigation (MDI) of in-loop transient electromagnetic soundings (TEM) with data from the Vizcaino transect, a profile of 38 TEM soundings crossing the Baja California peninsula. The validity of this approach is confirmed by comparing the MDI with the deepest interface of 16 stratified models. In these soundings, all located over the Vizcaino basin, the measured data are not affected by induced polarization. The models indicate the presence of a dipping conductor interpreted as a zone of seawater intrusion with a large lateral extension of over 70 km. The remaining 22 soundings, located over igneous and metamorphic rocks, show reversals in the voltage polarity, indicating the presence of induced polarization effects. The layered Cole-Cole models for these soundings suggest a significant decrease in the MDI. This is confirmed by analyzing the depth behavior of the subsurface current densities. We further analyze the noise level of a data set comprising close to 2000 late-time voltages of about 400 TEM sites acquired in northwestern Mexico. No difference was found between the stationary noise levels of winter and summer, presumably because near thunderstorms are practically absent in this part of Mexico.     

On reducing ambiguity in the interpretation of transient electromagnetic sounding data1

An attempt to resolve non-uniqueness in the interpretation of transient electromagnetic (TEM) sounding data using measured data alone is made. It is shown in the various examples studied that sufficiently early time measurements can be the determining factor in reducing the ambiguity caused by model equivalence. The early delay times thus play a dual role in transient soundings: they are responsible for resolving shallow structures and they may eliminate the ambiguity in the interpretation of geoelectric parameters of deeper targets. This is illustrated by the results of a follow-up TEM survey at the Dead Sea coast of Israel where the use of supplementary early time measurements allowed non-uniqueness in the determination of the depth to fresh/saline groundwater interface to be resolved.     

On the Locality of Transient Electromagnetic Soundings with a Single-Loop Configuration

The possibilities of reconstructing two-dimensional (2D) cross sections based on the data of the profile soundings by the transient electromagnetic method (TEM) with a single ungrounded loop are illustrated on three-dimensional (3D) models. The process of reconstruction includes three main steps: transformation of the responses in the depth dependence of resistivity ρ(h) measured along the profile, with their subsequent stitching into the 2D pseudo section; point-by-point one-dimensional (1D) inversion of the responses with the starting model constructed based on the transformations; and correction of the 2D cross section with the use of 2.5-dimensional (2.5D) block inversion. It is shown that single-loop TEM soundings allow studying the geological media within a local domain the lateral dimensions of which are commensurate with the depth of the investigation. The structure of the medium beyond this domain insignificantly affects the sounding results. This locality enables the TEM to reconstruct the geoelectrical structure of the medium from the 2D cross sections with the minimal distortions caused by the lack of information beyond the profile of the transient response measurements.     

Feasibility of central loop TEM method for prospecting multilayer water-filled goaf

With deep mining of coal mines, prospecting multilayer water-filled goaf has become a new content that results from geophysical exploration in coalfields. The central loop transient electromagnetic (TEM) method is favorable for prospecting conductive layers because of the coupling relationship between its field structure and formation. However, the shielding effect of conductive overburden would not only require a longer observation time when prospecting the same depth but also weaken the anomalous response of underlying layers. Through direct time domain numerical simulation and horizontal layered earth forward modeling, this paper estimates the length of observation time required to prospect the target, and the distinguishable criterion of multilayer water-filled goaf is presented with observation error according to the effect of noise on observation data. The observed emf curves from Dazigou Coal Mine, Shanxi Province can distinguish multilayer water-filled goaf. In quantitative inversion interpretation of observed curves, using electric logging data as initial parameters restrains the equivalence caused by coal formation thin layers. The deduced three-layer and two-layer water-filled goafs are confirmed by the drilling hole. The result suggests that when observation time is long enough and with the anomalous situation of underlying layers being greater than the observation error, the use of the central loop TEM method to prospect a multilayer water-filled goaf is feasible.     

回线源瞬变电磁法有限体积三维任意各向异性正演及分析

目前,瞬变电磁法(TEM)数据基本都是基于各向同性模型进行反演解释,这对于存在明显电性各向异性的勘探区域会产生较大的反演解释误差.为分析电各向异性对回线源瞬变电磁信号的影响方式与程度,本文通过求解离散化的全张量电导率时间域Helmholtz方程,实现了基于有限体积法的TEM任意各向异性的三维正演算法.该算法采用基于交错网格的拟态有限体积法(MFV)对时域Maxwell方程组进行空间域离散,并利用后退欧拉算法(Backward Euler Method)进行时间域离散.为提高时域电磁场的求解精度与效率,该算法将时间分段等步长算法与方程直接求解法相结合.通过对一维各向异性模型以及三维复杂各向同性模型进行测试,验证了本算法对于回线源瞬变电磁响应计算的正确性及有效性.最后,通过对几类典型电各向异性介质中大回线源瞬变电磁信号响应的分析,总结了不同电各向异性类型对TEM电磁信号的影响模式,结果表明,主轴各向异性情况下TEM信号主要受水平方向电导率的影响,倾斜各向异性对TEM信号的影响程度远大于水平各向异性,而通过水平各向异性信号能较清晰判断出各向异性主轴方向.     

回线源瞬变电磁成像的理论分析及数值计算

进一步提高瞬变电磁法对地探测的解释精度,提出了回线源瞬变电磁成像原理及数值计算方法. 讨论了频率域中水平层状介质中瞬变电磁响应,得到一个以波阻抗为积分核的双重积分式;然后对水平层介质下电磁场的解进行上、下行波分离,得到含有以反射系数序列为未知的线性方程组,并给出了求取波阻抗和反射系数的数值解法：对实测磁场值进行域的变换,以均匀半空间下的等效波阻抗代替积分核函数,经过线性数字滤波后,在频率域求出等效波阻抗;把频率域中的波阻抗转换到时间域,以此为参数,构建方程组,在时间域用线性规划法求出反射系数序列. 最终以反射系数为参数进行成像. 对理论模型的数值计算结果表明,用本文提出的成像方法可以增强瞬变电磁法识别地下电性分界面的能力.     

电性源地-井瞬变电磁法全分量响应特性与探测能力分析

结合地面电性源瞬变电磁法（TEM）探测深度大和地-井TEM探测精度高的优点,本文提出对电性源地-井TEM进行研究.基于一维正演理论,本文对电性源在地下激发的六个电磁场分量的扩散、分布特性和探测能力进行分析研究.研究结果表明地下瞬变场各分量的分布特征与地面情况类似,但是对地层的探测能力与地面情况存在较大差别.各分量的探测能力与它们的扩散特性有关,其中受积累电荷作用,垂直电场E_z和水平磁场Ḣ_x分量对目标层的反映最为明显,E_x和Ḣ_y分量在地下扩散时受"返回电流"的影响会出现变号现象,使得异常体带来的影响被掩盖,不易被分辨.本文研究结果为发展电性源地-井TEM的施工技术、数据处理与解释,建立了相应的理论基础,获得了对该方法的初步认识.     

Geoelectrical structure of the central zone of Piton de la Fournaise volcano (Réunion)

 A study of the geoelectrical structure of the central part of Piton de la Fournaise volcano (Réunion, Indian Ocean) was made using direct current electrical (DC) and transient electromagnetic soundings (TEM). Piton de la Fournaise is a highly active oceanic basaltic shield and has been active for more than half a million years. Joint interpretation of the DC and TEM data allows us to obtain reliable 1D models of the resistivity distribution. The depth of investigation is of the order of 1.5 km but varies with the resistivity pattern encountered at each sounding. Two-dimensional resistivity cross sections were constructed by interpolation between the soundings of the 1D interpreted models. Conductors with resistivities less than 100 ohm-m are present at depth beneath all of the soundings and are located high in the volcanic edifice at elevations between 2000 and 1200 m. The deepest conductor has a resistivity less than 20 ohm-m for soundings located inside the Enclos and less than 60–100 ohm-m for soundings outside the Enclos. From the resistivity distributions, two zones are distinguished: (a) the central zone of the Enclos; and (b) the outer zone beyond the Enclos. Beneath the highly active summit area, the conductor rises to within a few hundred meters of the surface. This bulge coincides with a 2000-mV self-potential anomaly. Low-resistivity zones are inferred to show the presence of a hydrothermal system where alteration by steam and hot water has lowered the resistivity of the rocks. Farther from the summit, but inside the Enclos, the depth to the conductive layers increases to approximately 1 km and is inferred to be a deepening of the hydrothermally altered zone. Outside of the Enclos, the nature of the deep, conductive layers is not established. The observed resistivities suggest the presence of hydrated minerals, which could be found in landslide breccias, in hydrothermally altered zones, or in thick pyroclastic layers. Such formations often create perched water tables. The known occurrence of large eastward-moving landslides in the evolution of Piton de la Fournaise strongly suggests that large volumes of breccias should exist in the interior of the volcano; however, extensive breccia deposits are not observed at the bottom of the deep valleys that incise the volcano to elevations lower than those determined for the top of the conductors. The presence of the center of Piton de la Fournaise beneath the Plaine des Sables area during earlier volcanic stages (ca. 0.5 to 0.150 Ma) may have resulted in broad hydrothermal alteration of this zone. However, this interpretation cannot account for the low resistivities in peripheral zones. It is not presently possible to discriminate between these general interpretations. In addition, the nature of the deep conductors may be different in each zone. Whatever the geologic nature of these conductive layers, their presence indicates a major change of lithology at depth, unexpected for a shield volcano such as Piton de la Fournaise. Received: 3 November 1999 / Accepted: 15 September 1999