Laterally constrained inversion of helicopter-borne frequency-domain electromagnetic data

Helicopter-borne frequency-domain electromagnetic (HEM) surveys are used for fast high-resolution, three-dimensional resistivity mapping. Standard interpretation tools are often based on layered earth inversion procedures which, in general, explain the HEM data sufficiently. As a HEM system is moved while measuring, noise on the data is a common problem. Generally, noisy data will be smoothed prior to inversion using appropriate low-pass filters and consequently information may be lost.For the first time the laterally constrained inversion (LCI) technique has been applied to HEM data combined with the automatic generation of dynamic starting models. The latter is important because it takes the penetration depth of the electromagnetic fields, which can heavily vary in survey areas with different geological settings, into account. The LCI technique, which has been applied to diverse airborne and ground geophysical data sets, has proven to be able to improve the HEM inversion results of layered earth structures. Although single-site 1-D inversion is generally faster and — in case of strong lateral resistivity variations — more flexible, LCI produces resistivity — depth sections which are nearly identical to those derived from noise-free data.The LCI results are compared with standard single-site Marquardt–Levenberg inversion procedures on the basis of synthetic data as well as field data. The model chosen for the generation of synthetic data represents a layered earth structure having an inhomogeneous top layer in order to study the influence of shallow resistivity variations on the resolution of deep horizontal conductors in one-dimensional inversion results. The field data example comprises a wide resistivity range in a sedimentary as well as hard-rock environment.If a sufficient resistivity contrast between air and subsurface exists, the LCI technique is also very useful in correcting for incorrect system altitude measurements by using the altitude as a constrained inversion parameter.     

An assessment of inversion methods for AEM data applied to environmental studies

Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys are currently being flown over populated areas and applied to detailed problems using high flight line densities. Interpretation information is supplied through a model of the subsurface resistivity distribution. Theoretical and survey data are used here to study the character and reliability of such models. Although the survey data were obtained using a fixed-wing system, the corresponding associations with helicopter, towed-bird systems are discussed. Both Fraser half-space and 1D inversion techniques are considered in relation to their ability to distinguish geological, cultural and environmental influences on the survey data. Fraser half-space modelling provides the dual interpretation parameters of apparent resistivity and apparent depth at each operational frequency. The apparent resistivity was found to be a remarkably stable parameter and appears robust to the presence of a variety of at-surface cultural features. Such features provide both incorrect altitude data and multidimensional influences. Their influences are observed most strongly in the joint estimate of apparent depth and this accounts for the stability of the apparent resistivity. Positive apparent depths, in the example data, result from underestimated altitude measurements. It is demonstrated that increasingly negative apparent depths are associated with increasing misfits between a 1D model and the data. Centroid depth calculations, which are a transform of the Fraser half-space parameters, provide an example of the detection of non-1D influences on data obtained above a populated area. 1D inversion of both theoretical and survey data is examined. The simplest use of the 1D inversion method is in providing an estimate of a half-space resistivity. This can be undertaken prior to multilayer inversion as an initial assessment. Underestimated altitude measurements also enter the problem and, in keeping with the Fraser pseudo-layer concept, an at-surface highly resistive layer of variable thickness can be usefully introduced as a constrained parameter. It is clearly difficult to ascribe levels of significance to a ‘measure’ of misfit contained in a negative apparent depth with the dimensions of metres. The reliability of 1D models is better assessed using a formal misfit parameter. With the misfit parameter in place, the example data suggest that the 1D inversion methods provide reliable apparent resistivity values with a higher resolution than the equivalent information from the Fraser half-space estimates.     

A comparison of aeromagnetic levelling techniques with an introduction to median levelling

Aeromagnetic data collected in areas with severe diurnal magnetic variations (auroral zones) are difficult to level. This paper describes levelling of an aeromagnetic survey where such conditions prevail, and where sophisticated levelling techniques are needed. Corrections based on piecewise low‐order polynomial functions are often used to minimize mis‐ties in aeromagnetic data. We review this technique and describe similar mis‐tie fitting methods based on low‐pass filter levelling, tensioned B‐spline levelling and median levelling. It is demonstrated that polynomial levelling, low‐pass filter levelling and tensioned B‐spline levelling depend on the careful editing of outlying mis‐ties to avoid the introduction of false anomalies. These three techniques are equally efficient at removing level errors. Median levelling also removes level errors efficiently, but it is more robust in the sense that mis‐tie editing is not required. This is due to the inherent noise‐removal capabilities of the median filter. After mis‐tie editing, the total field anomalies of the other three techniques closely resemble the unedited median‐levelled total field anomaly.     

ON THE INTERPRETATION OF AIRBORNE ELECTROMAGNETIC DATA FOR THE TWO-LAYER CASE*

For helicopter-borne electromagnetic systems, the distance between the transmitting and the receiving coils is small compared with the altitude above ground. For this case, a major simplification can be made for the calculation of model curves. Some two-layer curves for the interpretation of frequency measurements are presented. A very simple procedure is demonstrated for the conversion of the relative secondary field into apparent resistivity and apparent distance for the mapping of airborne electromagnetic data. Furthermore, an approximation is described for the determination of the thickness and the resistivity of a layer lying on a perfectly conducting half-space.     

Microlevelling procedures applied to regional aeromagnetic data: an example from the Transantarctic Mountains (Antarctica)

The extensive application of digital enhancement and filtering as a powerful tool for aeromagnetic interpretation, not only of high resolution but also of regional data, requires an improved levelling. Two microlevelling techniques were thus compared in order to find an effective but relatively simple procedure to remove, or at least to reduce, residual magnetic errors remaining after standard levelling processes. This study was carried out on regional aeromagnetic data recently acquired at high magnetic latitudes along the Transantarctic Mountains in Antarctica, where it is particularly critical to remove time-dependent magnetic variations. Two-dimensional FFT filters applied to the gridded data, namely the Butterworth and a directional cosine filter, proved to be more effective than previously proposed one-dimensional space-domain filters in the reduction of the 'residual corrugation' not removed by statistical levelling. Tectonic interpretation of trends detected in the total field magnetic anomaly map and in the 3D analytic signal improved after application of frequency-domain microlevelling. However, we also show that when interpreting microlevelled data, two factors must be considered: (i) the possible presence of real geological trends aligned along the flight lines; (ii) modifications in the results yielded by depth estimates of magnetic sources due to the FFT filters applied during the microlevelling procedure. Such changes were seen both in the well-established 2D FFT method, based on the slope of the energy spectrum, and in the more recent 3D Euler deconvolution technique. Overall our results indicate that microlevelling could profitably be applied to older gridded aeromagnetic data sets in Antarctica, thus improving the accuracy and geological significance of future regional magnetic compilations, as already seen in other continents.     

Imaging a 3D geological structure from HEM, airborne magnetic and ground ERT data in Kalat-e-Reshm area, Iran

A set of geophysical data collected in an area in Iran are analyzed to check the validity of a geological map that was prepared in connection to a mineral prospecting project and also to image the spatial electrical resistivity distribution. The data set includes helicopter electromagnetic (HEM), airborne magnetic and ground electrical resistivity measurement. Occam approach was used to invert the HEM data to model the resistivity using a layered earth model with fixed thicknesses. The algorithm is based on a nonlinear inverse problem in a least-squares sense.The algorithm was tested on a part of an HEM dataset acquired with a DIGHEM helicopter EM system at Kalat-e-Reshm, Semnan in Iran. The area contains a resistive porphyry andesite that is covered by Eocene sedimentary units. The results are shown as resistivity sections and maps confirming the existence of an arc like resistive structure in the survey area. The resistive andesite seems to be thicker than it is indicated in the geological maps. The results are compared with the reduced to the pole (RTP) airborne magnetic anomaly field data as well as with two ground resistivity profiles. We found reasonable correlations between the HEM 1D resistivity models and 2D models from electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) inversions. A 3D visualization of the 1D models along all flight lines provided a useful tool for the study of spatial variations of the resistivity structure in the investigation area.     

基于二次耦合势的广域电磁法有限体积三维正演计算

与可控源音频大地电磁（CSAMT）相比,广域电磁法通过采用全区视电阻率定义,突破了卡尼亚视电阻率所需的远区条件限制,极大拓展了可控源电磁观测区域和探测深度.考虑到电偶源激发场的三维特征以及地下复杂三维结构,为提高广域电磁数据解释精度,本文实现了基于二次耦合势的广域电磁法三维正演计算.该算法利用Helmholtz定理将麦克斯韦方程转化为库伦规范下的磁矢势和电标势耦合方程,有效改善了离散所得大型线性方程组的谱性质,并通过强加散度条件来消除电场伪解的影响.此外,采用散射场方法,其中一次场使用准解析法求解,二次场使用有限体积法求解,克服了局部激发场源奇异性问题.通过与一维层状模型下电偶源产生的电磁场准解析解对比,验证了本文算法的正确性.在此基础上,利用本文的正演算法对比分析了广域电磁法与CSAMT对典型三维目标体的探测能力,结果表明在相同的观测条件下,广域电磁法能够更准确地反映地下目标体信息,拥有更优的分辨能力.     

基于非结构网格的电阻率三维带地形反演

地表起伏地形在野外矿产资源勘察中不可避免, 其对直流电阻率法勘探影响巨大.近年来, 电阻率三维正演取得诸多进展, 特别是应用非结构网格我们能够进行任意复杂地形和几何模型的电阻率三维数值模拟, 但面向实际应用的起伏地形下电阻率三维反演依然困难.本文基于非结构化四面体网格, 并考虑到应用GPS/GNSS时, 区域地球物理调查中可非规则布设测网的实际特点, 实现了任意地形(平坦或起伏)条件下、任意布设的偶极-偶极视电阻率数据的不完全Gauss-Newton三维反演.合成数据的反演结果表明了方法的有效性, 可应用于复杂野外环境下的三维电法勘探.     

考虑关断时间的回线源激发TEM三维时域有限差分正演

从麦克斯韦旋度方程出发可以直接导出瞬变电磁场扩散方程,然而扩散方程不含电场对时间的一阶导数,不能构成显式的时域有限差分方程,借鉴du Fort-Frankel有限差分离散方法引入虚拟位移电流项构建显式时域有限差分方程.对Wang和Hohmann的经典时域算法进行了两点改进:第一,通过将矩形回线源电流密度加入麦克斯韦方程组的安培环路定理方程,实现回线源瞬变电磁激发源加入;第二,在计算中考虑关断时间.第一点改进使时域有限差分方程考虑了一次场的计算,并且源的计算不再依赖均匀半空间模型响应作为初始条件,使算法能够适应表层电阻率不均匀时的三维复杂模型.由于实际观测中不可能出现阶跃电流的关断形式,第二点改进可以方便设置发射电流下降沿.采用改进的三维时域有限差分正演算法对均匀半空间模型、四类三层模型、均匀半空间中含有低阻块体模型进行了计算并分别与解析解、线性数字滤波解、积分方程解和Wang的三维时域有限差分解进行了对比验证.以H模型为例,采用建立的三维时域有限差分正演算法计算了不同关断时间的斜阶跃脉冲回线源瞬变电磁中心点感应电动势衰减曲线.以实际地质资料为基础,构建包含两层采空区的三维复杂模型,以1 μs的极短关断时间进行了复杂模型定回线源瞬变电磁响应计算,并计算了该复杂模型的视电阻率曲线.     

CSAMT全区电阻率法数值模拟及应用探讨

常规的可控源电磁法理论在计算视电阻率公式上,多半采用其电磁场的渐近特征,难以直接反映全区视电阻率的值,及直观地显现地下介质的地质构造.文中采用水平偶极子激发的电磁场,提出了电场的全区精确表达式,直接计算出大地电阻率.利用汉克尔数值滤波算法和逆样条插值算法对水平层状电磁场进行正演计算,并与计算的卡尼亚视电阻率的对比和野外试验结果表明：该方法的结果在远区等价卡尼亚电阻率,在近区和过渡带则明显地改善了卡尼亚电阻率的非波场区场畸变,从而能更好地接近基底的真电阻率,更形象地反映了地下介质的垂向电性变化.     

基于二次场电导率分块连续变化的三维可控源电磁有限元数值模拟

从电偶源三维地电断面可控源电磁法的二次电场边值问题及其变分问题出发,采用任意六面体单元对研究区域进行剖分,并且在单元分析中同时对电导率及二次电场进行三线性插值,实现电导率分块连续变化情况下,基于二次场的可控源电磁三维有限元数值模拟.这个新的可控源电磁三维正演方法可以模拟实际勘探中地下任意形状及电性参数连续变化的复杂模型.理论模型的计算结果表明,均匀大地计算的视电阻率误差和相位误差分别为0.002%和0.0005°.分层连续变化模型的有限元计算结果表明,其与对应的分层均匀模型解析结果有明显差异.三维异常体组合模型以及倾斜异常体等复杂模型的有限元计算结果也有效地反映了异常形态.     

SIMPLE DATA PROCESSING OF TRIPOTENTIAL APPARENT RESISTIVITY MEASUREMENTS AS AN AID TO THE INTERPRETATION OF SUBSURFACE STRUCTURE*

The advantages of the Wenner tripotential method (Carpenter 1955) for apparent resistivity profiling are described and two new data processing techniques introduced as an aid to the interpretation of apparent resistivity sections (pseudo-sections). These techniques were developed from model data computed using a two-dimensional finite difference method. Oscillatory components present in anomalies on tripotential profiles and related to electrode spacing are shown to be effectively removed by linear filtering that also simplifies their form and aids recognition. Furthermore, it is shown that the ratio of the beta- and gamma-apparent resistivities is a good indicator of resistivity variation, and is particularly sensitive to lateral change. Model data indicates that, over a wide range of conditions, enough subsurface information can be obtained by inspection of tripotential resistivity and ratio profiles, and from space sections to make possible a useful—and sometimes semi-quantitative—interpretation. A rationale for the general interpretation of tripotential data is developed. Field data are described from an area of weathered granite basement in Nigeria. A model of the subsurface is developed using parameters derived from the processed observations. The observed and calculated apparent resistivity space sections are very similar.     

Two-dimensional, regularised inversion of VLF data

Very low frequency electromagnetic (EM) methods using VLF transmitters have found many applications in subsurface geophysical investigations. Surface measurements involving both the vertical component of the magnetic field (VLF-EM or VLF-Z) and of the apparent resistivity (VLF-R) are increasingly common. Although extensive VLF data sets have been successfully used for mapping purposes, modelling and interpretation techniques which asess the third (i.e. depth) dimension appear limited.Given a profile of VLF-R measurements the main purpose of the present study is to demonstrate an automatic method for the construction of a resistivity cross-section. The technique used is one of a new generation of regularised inversion methods. These techniques attempt to overcome the problem of equivalence/non-uniqueness in EM sounding data by constructing the resistivity distribution with the minimum amount of structure that fits the data.VLF data represent a special case of plane-wave EM sounding in that they conform, in practice, to a single-frequency technique. This fact imposes a limitation in the amount of vertical resolution that we can expect using such data. In the case of two-dimensional modelling and inversion, resolution through the cross-section is a resultant attribute from both vertical and lateral resistivity gradients within the subsurface. In order to provide insight into the practical application of regularised inversion techniques to VLF data, both synthetic and field examples are considered. Both sets of examples are primarily concerned with VLF data applied to near-surface fault mapping where the main aim is to assess the location, dip and depth extent of conductive subsurface features.     

多辐射场源地空瞬变电磁法多分量全域视电阻率定义

本文针对多辐射场源地空瞬变电磁法理论, 建立了相应的多分量全域视电阻率定义方法.分析了利用磁场强度进行多辐射场源地空系统全域视电阻率定义的优点, 针对磁场强度的各个分量, 提出了各自的全域视电阻率算法, 实现了多分量、全时域、全空域视电阻率计算, 并分析了偏移距对全域视电阻率的影响.通过调整源的相对位置及电流方向等参数, 多辐射源瞬变电磁地空系统不仅可以加强不同分量信号强度, 削弱随机干扰, 还可更好地分辨地下异常体的位置.通过对所设计模型的处理, 证实了多辐射场源地空系统多分量全域视电阻率算法的有效性, 也验证了多辐射场源地空系统的优势.     

Fast imaging of subsurface conductors using very low‐frequency electromagnetic data

The study presents a fast imaging technique for the very low‐frequency data interpretation. First, an analytical expression was derived to compute the vertical component of the magnetic field at any point on the Earth's surface for a given current density distribution in a rectangular block on the subsurface. Current density is considered as exponentially decreasing with depth, according to the skin depth rule in a particular block. Subsequently, the vertical component of the magnetic field due to the entire subsurface was computed as the sum of the vertical component of the magnetic field due to an individual block. Since the vertical component of the magnetic field is proportional to the real part of very low‐frequency anomaly, an inversion program was developed for imaging of the subsurface conductors using the real very low‐frequency anomaly in terms of apparent current density distribution in the subsurface. Imaging results from the presented formulation were compared with other imaging techniques in terms of apparent current density and resistivity distribution using a standard numerical forward modelling and inversion technique. Efficacy of the developed approach was demonstrated for the interpretation of synthetic and field very low‐frequency data. The presented imaging technique shows improvement with respect to the filtering approaches in depicting subsurface conductors. Further, results obtained using the presented approach are closer to the results of rigorous resistivity inversion. Since the presented approach uses only the real anomaly, which is not sensitive to very small isolated near‐surface conducting features, it depicts prominent conducting features in the subsurface.     

矿井瞬变电磁法全空间视电阻率解释方法研究

从全空间中心回线源响应公式出发,推导了全空间晚期和全区视电阻率公式;通过与半空间公式比较和对实测资料的分析,研究了全空间视电阻率公式的应用效果.结果显示,全空间视电阻率为半空间视电阻率的(5/2)2/3倍,其晚期视电阻率与真值的相对误差小于0.56%,而相应的半空间视电阻率与真值误差均大于42%.与常规解释方法相比,采用全空间全区视电阻率换算方法能更好地圈定低阻异常范围,且电阻率差异大.因此,该公式更适用于矿井瞬变电磁法资料处理与解释,并具有更好的效果.     

一维电阻率各向异性对海洋可控源电磁响应的影响研究

地下介质的电阻率常常表现为各向异性, 海底裂隙地层和层状沉积序列可能形成宏观电阻率各向异性.在解释海洋电磁资料时, 电阻率各向异性的影响不应该被忽略, 否则可能会得到错误的海底地电模型.作者编写了电阻率任意各向异性一维层状介质海洋可控源电磁场计算程序, 计算了电阻率各向异性层状模型的海洋可控源电磁响应, 讨论了覆盖层和高阻储层分别具有电阻率各向异性时的电磁场响应特征.     

水平多层大地上垂直磁偶极频率测深的全波视电阻率

本文根据视电阻率定义的原则,以及用不同的场量定义的视电阻率效果不同这一事实,提出一种新的全波视电阻率定义.在全区同时用均匀大地上电磁场的三个分量来分区定义祝电阻率.在远区视电阻率由磁场的水平分量求出,在近区由磁场的垂直分量或其实分量定义,而在过渡区则由电场的水平分量确定.用这种方法定义的视电阻率为电磁响应的单值函数,它随频率变化的曲线显著改善,能直观地反映地层电阻率随深度的变化,数值比较接近地层的真电阻率值,假极值效应明显压低.在计算中用切比雪夫多项式分段拟合均匀大地电磁响应的反函数,并给出一套系数,由此算出的视电阻率误差小于1％.     

An apparent-resistivity concept for low-frequency electromagnetic sounding techniques

Apparent resistivity is a useful concept for initial quickscan interpretation and quality checks in the field, because it represents the resistivity properties of the subsurface better than the raw data. For frequency‐domain soundings several apparent‐resistivity definitions exist. One definition uses an asymptote for the field of a magnetic dipole in a homogeneous half‐space and is useful only for low induction numbers. Another definition uses only the amplitude information of the total magnetic field, although this results in a non‐unique apparent resistivity. To overcome this non‐uniqueness, a complex derivation using two different source–receiver configurations and several magnetic field values for different frequencies or different offsets is derived in another definition. Using the latter theory, in practice, this means that a wide range of measurements have to be carried out, while commercial systems are not able to measure this wide range. In this paper, an apparent‐resistivity concept is applied beyond the low‐induction zone, for which the use of different source–receiver configurations is not needed. This apparent‐resistivity concept was formerly used to interpret the electromagnetic transients that are associated with the turn‐off of the transmitter current. The concept uses both amplitude and phase information and can be applied for a wide range of frequencies and offsets, resulting in a unique apparent resistivity for each individual (offset, frequency) combination. It is based on the projection of the electromagnetic field data on to the curve of the field of a magnetic dipole on a homogeneous half‐space and implemented using a non‐linear optimization scheme. This results in a fast and efficient estimation of apparent resistivity versus frequency or offset for electromagnetic sounding, and also gives a new perspective on electromagnetic profiling. Numerical results and two case studies are presented. In each case study the results are found to be comparable with those from other existing exploration systems, such as EM31 and EM34. They are obtained with a slight increase of effort in the field but contain more information, especially about the vertical resistivity distribution of the subsurface.     

水平多层大地上垂直磁偶极频率测深的全波视电阻率

本文根据视电阻率定义的原则,以及用不同的场量定义的视电阻率效果不同这一事实,提出一种新的全波视电阻率定义.在全区同时用均匀大地上电磁场的三个分量来分区定义祝电阻率.在远区视电阻率由磁场的水平分量求出,在近区由磁场的垂直分量或其实分量定义,而在过渡区则由电场的水平分量确定.用这种方法定义的视电阻率为电磁响应的单值函数,它随频率变化的曲线显著改善,能直观地反映地层电阻率随深度的变化,数值比较接近地层的真电阻率值,假极值效应明显压低.在计算中用切比雪夫多项式分段拟合均匀大地电磁响应的反函数,并给出一套系数,由此算出的视电阻率误差小于1％.