3D modelling of near-surface, environmental effects on AEM data

This study considers the three-dimensional (3D) modelling of compact, at-surface conductive bodies on frequency domain airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey data. The context is the use of AEM data for environmental and land quality applications. The 3D structures encountered are typically conductive, of limited thickness (<20 m) and form ‘point’ source locations carrying potential environmental risk. The scale of such bodies may generate single-profile, ‘bulls-eye’ anomalies. In attempts to recover geological information, such anomalies may be considered to represent noise. In environmental AEM, the correct interpretation of such features is important. The study uses a combination of theoretical models and trial-fixed-wing survey data obtained in populated areas of the UK. Scale issues are discussed in terms of the volumetric footprints of the induced electric field generated by systems flown at both low and high elevation. One of the primary uses of AEM survey data lies in the assessment of conductivity maps. These are typically obtained using one-dimensional (1D) conductivity models at individual measurement points. In order to investigate the limitations of this approach, 3D modelling of conductive structures with dimensions less than 350×350 m and thicknesses extending to 20 m has been carried out. A 1D half space inversion of the data obtained at each frequency is then used to assess the behaviour of the spatial information. The results demonstrate that half space conductivity values obtained over compact 3D targets generally provide only apparent conductivity results. For thin, at-surface bodies, conductivity values are biased to lower values than the true conductivity except at high frequency. The spatial perturbation to both coupling ratios and 1D conductivity models can be laterally extensive. The results from 3D modelling indicate that the use of horizontal derivatives applied to the conductivity models offers enhanced edge detection. The practical application of such derivatives to both regional- and local-scale survey data is presented.. The special case of a near-surface, metallic pipeline has been modelled. The problem constitutes an inductive limit (current gathering) response in which the perturbation is largely confined to the in-phase coupling ratios. The main perturbations, in data and conductivity models, are within about 40 m of each side of the pipeline. The maximum perturbation to the conductivity model is only a factor of 1.5 above background. Detailed survey data across a former compact landfill (about 100×100 m) are used to compare the model behaviour predicted by the 3D modelling with survey results. The survey, conducted at two separate altitudes, provides a demonstration of 3D effects on 1D survey models as a function of frequency and elevation. Although the nature of the landfill materials and their location are not known precisely, the mapping information appears realistic.     

Joint inversion of long‐offset and central‐loop transient electromagnetic data: Application to a mud volcano exploration in Perekishkul,Azerbaijan

Mud volcanism is commonly observed in Azerbaijan and the surrounding South Caspian Basin. This natural phenomenon is very similar to magmatic volcanoes but differs in one considerable aspect: Magmatic volcanoes are generally the result of ascending molten rock within the Earth's crust, whereas mud volcanoes are characterised by expelling mixtures of water, mud, and gas. The majority of mud volcanoes have been observed on ocean floors or in deep sedimentary basins, such as those found in Azerbaijan. Furthermore, their occurrences in Azerbaijan are generally closely associated with hydrocarbon reservoirs and are therefore of immense economic and geological interest. The broadside long‐offset transient electromagnetic method and the central‐loop transient electromagnetic method were applied to study the inner structure of such mud volcanoes and to determine the depth of a resistive geological formation that is predicted to contain the majority of the hydrocarbon reservoirs in the survey area. One‐dimensional joint inversion of central‐loop and long‐offset transient electromagnetic data was performed using the inversion schemes of Occam and Marquardt. By using the joint inversion models, a subsurface resistivity structure ranging from the surface to a depth of approximately 7 km was determined. Along a profile running perpendicular to the assumed strike direction, lateral resistivity variations could only be determined in the shallow depth range using the transient electromagnetic data. An attempt to resolve further two‐dimensional/three‐dimensional resistivity structures, representing possible mud migration paths at large depths using the long‐offset transient electromagnetic data, failed. Moreover, the joint inversion models led to ambiguous results regarding the depth and resistivity of the hydrocarbon target formation due to poor resolution at great depths (>5 km). Thus, 1D/2D modelling studies were subsequently performed to investigate the influence of the resistive terminating half‐space on the measured long‐offset transient electromagnetic data. The 1D joint inversion models were utilised as starting models for both the 1D and 2D modelling studies. The results tend to show that a resistive terminating half‐space, implying the presence of the target formation, is the favourable geological setting. Furthermore, the 2D modelling study aimed to fit all measured long‐offset transient electromagnetic Ex transients along the profile simultaneously. Consequently, 3125 2D forward calculations were necessary to determine the best‐fit resistivity model. The results are consistent with the 1D inversion, indicating that the data are best described by a resistive terminating half‐space, although the resistivity and depth cannot be determined clearly.     

DAMPED LEAST-SQUARES INVERSION OF TIME-DOMAIN AIRBORNE EM DATA BASED ON SINGULAR VALUE DECOMPOSITION1

Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) methods are increasingly being used as tools of geological mapping, groundwater exploration and prospecting for coal and lignite. In such applications, quantitative interpretation is commonly based on the layered-earth model. A new approach, a damped least-squares inversion with singular value decomposition, is proposed for interpretation of time-domain, towed-bird AEM data. Studies using theoretical and field AEM data indicate that inversion techniques are dependable and provide fast converging solutions. An analysis has been made of the accuracy of model parameter determination, which depends on resistivity and thickness distribution. In the common case of conductive overburden, upper-layer resistivity and thickness are usually well determined, although situations exist where their separation becomes difficult. In the case of a resistive layer overlying a conductive basement, the layer thickness is the best-determined parameter. In both cases, estimates of basement resistivity are the least reliable. Field data obtained with the Chinese-made M-l AEM system in Dongling, Anhui Province, China, were processed using the described inversion algorithm. The survey area comprised fluvial Cenozoic clays and weathered Mesozoic sediments. Inversion of AEM data resulted in accurate depth-to-bedrock sections and realistic estimates of the resistivities of overburden and bedrock which agree with the results of drilling and resistivity sounding.     

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.     

2.5维起伏地表条件下时间域航空电磁正演模拟

时间域航空电磁作为一种高效地球物理勘探技术特别适合我国地形复杂地区(沙漠、高山、湖泊、沼泽等)资源勘查.然而,这些地区地形起伏较大,对航空电磁响应有严重影响,忽略地形影响会给航空电磁数据解释造成很大误差.到目前为止人们对航空电磁地形效应特征研究十分有限.本文提出了基于非结构化网格的有限元法模拟带地形时间域航空电磁系统响应.该方法与基于结构化网格的有限差分相比能更好地模拟地形.首先通过傅里叶变换将2.5维问题转化成二维问题,利用伽辽金方法对二维问题进行离散.通过使用MUMPS求解器,得到波数域电磁响应.利用反傅里叶变换将波数域电磁响应变换到空间域,并利用正弦变换将其变换到时间域,得到2.5维时间域航空电磁响应.通过将本文的计算结果与半空间模型解析解及其他已发表的结果进行对比,检验了本文算法的精度.最后,我们系统分析了山峰和山谷地形对航空响应的影响特征.本文研究结果对航空电磁地形效应的识别和校正具有指导意义.     

Three‐dimensional potential field data inversion with L0 quasinorm sparse constraints

The quantitative explanation of the potential field data of three‐dimensional geological structures remains one of the most challenging issues in modern geophysical inversion. Obtaining a stable solution that can simultaneously resolve complicated geological structures is a critical inverse problem in the geophysics field. I have developed a new method for determining a three‐dimensional petrophysical property distribution, which produces a corresponding potential field anomaly. In contrast with the tradition inverse algorithm, my inversion method proposes a new model norm, which incorporates two important weighting functions. One is the L0 quasi norm (enforcing sparse constraints), and the other is depth‐weighting that counteracts the influence of source depth on the resulting potential field data of the solution. Sparseness constraints are imposed by using the L0 quasinorm on model parameters. To solve the representation problem, an L0 quasinorm minimisation model with different smooth approximations is proposed. Hence, the data space (N) method, which is much smaller than model space (M), combined with the gradient‐projected method, and the model space, combined with the modified Newton method for L0 quasinorm sparse constraints, leads to a computationally efficient method by using an N × N system versus an M × M one because N ? M. Tests on synthetic data and real datasets demonstrate the stability and validity of the L0 quasinorm spare norms inversion method. With the aim of obtaining the blocky results, the inversion method with the L0 quasinorm sparse constraints method performs better than the traditional L2 norm (standard Tikhonov regularisation). It can obtain the focus and sparse results easily. Then, the Bouguer anomaly survey data of the salt dome, offshore Louisiana, is considered as a real case study. The real inversion result shows that the inclusion the L0 quasinorm sparse constraints leads to a simpler and better resolved solution, and the density distribution is obtained in this area to reveal its geological structure. These results confirm the validity of the L0 quasinorm sparse constraints method and indicate its application for other potential field data inversions and the exploration of geological structures.     

Quasi-2D hybrid joint inversion of seismic and geoelectric data

Many joint inversion schemes use 1D forward modelling in the integrated interpretation of various geophysical data. In extending the joint inversion approach to the investigation of 2D structures, the discretization of the model parameters and the appropriate choice of the forward‐modelling procedure play a very important role. In this paper, a hybrid seismic–geoelectric joint inversion method is proposed for the investigation of 2D near‐surface geological structures. The electric and seismic models are coupled together through the use of common boundaries between the adjacent layers. Assuming a 2D model composed of homogeneous layers with curved boundaries, a fast ray‐tracing algorithm is used for the calculation of refraction seismic traveltime data. In the geoelectric forward modelling, a locally 1D approximation is used. The boundary surfaces are written in the form of series expansion; the inversion algorithms are formulated for the expansion coefficients and the petrophysical parameters as unknowns. Two versions of the inversion method are proposed: in versions A and B, interval‐wise constant functions and Chebyshev polynomials are, respectively, used as basis functions of the series expansion. The versions are tested by means of synthetic and in situ measured data. The tests show that both methods are stable and accurate.     

A numerical comparison of 2D resistivity imaging with 10 electrode arrays

Numerical simulations are used to compare the resolution and efficiency of 2D resistivity imaging surveys for 10 electrode arrays. The arrays analysed include pole‐pole (PP), pole‐dipole (PD), half‐Wenner (HW), Wenner‐α (WN), Schlumberger (SC), dipole‐dipole (DD), Wenner‐β (WB), γ‐array (GM), multiple or moving gradient array (GD) and midpoint‐potential‐referred measurement (MPR) arrays. Five synthetic geological models, simulating a buried channel, a narrow conductive dike, a narrow resistive dike, dipping blocks and covered waste ponds, were used to examine the surveying efficiency (anomaly effects, signal‐to‐noise ratios) and the imaging capabilities of these arrays. The responses to variations in the data density and noise sensitivities of these electrode configurations were also investigated using robust (L₁‐norm) inversion and smoothness‐constrained least‐squares (L₂‐norm) inversion for the five synthetic models. The results show the following. (i) GM and WN are less contaminated by noise than the other electrode arrays. (ii) The relative anomaly effects for the different arrays vary with the geological models. However, the relatively high anomaly effects of PP, GM and WB surveys do not always give a high‐resolution image. PD, DD and GD can yield better resolution images than GM, PP, WN and WB, although they are more susceptible to noise contamination. SC is also a strong candidate but is expected to give more edge effects. (iii) The imaging quality of these arrays is relatively robust with respect to reductions in the data density of a multi‐electrode layout within the tested ranges. (iv) The robust inversion generally gives better imaging results than the L₂‐norm inversion, especially with noisy data, except for the dipping block structure presented here. (v) GD and MPR are well suited to multichannel surveying and GD may produce images that are comparable to those obtained with DD and PD. Accordingly, the GD, PD, DD and SC arrays are strongly recommended for 2D resistivity imaging, where the final choice will be determined by the expected geology, the purpose of the survey and logistical considerations.     

航空电磁勘查技术发展现状及展望

航空电磁作为一种高效的地球物理勘查技术手段,其发展在国外(加拿大、澳大利亚等国家)已十分成熟.然而,在我国该项技术仍处于发展当中,在国内目前尚未形成具有实际探测能力的航空电磁系统和解释手段.这一现状严重影响了我国对地形地质条件复杂区域(比如广大西部地区)矿产资源勘查的需求.本文旨在通过系统介绍航空电磁勘查技术中的基础理论、关键技术、仪器系统、数据处理、解释及应用,并对未来我国航空电磁勘查技术的发展提出建议,使读者了解该技术未来发展方向和研究热点,以期该项技术在我国得到快速发展并获得广泛应用.     

基于广义模型约束的时间域航空电磁反演研究

由于航空电磁具有海量数据,因此快速有效的成像和反演手段至关重要.本文针对层状介质模型推导与实现了广义模型约束条件下时间域航空电磁一维反演.从正则化反演的目标函数出发,通过改变模型约束项构造Lp范数反演和聚焦反演,进而通过改变模型求解域构造出基于小波变换的稀疏约束反演.针对不同反演方法目标函数的构建方式,本文进一步从数学原理上分析不同反演方法的预期效果,并通过理论模型和实测数据进行验证.结果表明L0.8范数反演、聚焦反演和基于小波变换的稀疏约束反演可以得到更符合地下层状介质陡变界面的反演结果.     

3D anisotropic modeling and identification for airborne EM systems based on the spectral-element method

The airborne electromagnetic (AEM) method has a high sampling rate and survey flexibility. However, traditional numerical modeling approaches must use high-resolution physical grids to guarantee modeling accuracy, especially for complex geological structures such as anisotropic earth. This can lead to huge computational costs. To solve this problem, we propose a spectral-element (SE) method for 3D AEM anisotropic modeling, which combines the advantages of spectral and finite-element methods. Thus, the SE method has accuracy as high as that of the spectral method and the ability to model complex geology inherited from the finite-element method. The SE method can improve the modeling accuracy within discrete grids and reduce the dependence of modeling results on the grids. This helps achieve high-accuracy anisotropic AEM modeling. We first introduced a rotating tensor of anisotropic conductivity to Maxwell’s equations and described the electrical field via SE basis functions based on GLL interpolation polynomials. We used the Galerkin weighted residual method to establish the linear equation system for the SE method, and we took a vertical magnetic dipole as the transmission source for our AEM modeling. We then applied fourth-order SE calculations with coarse physical grids to check the accuracy of our modeling results against a 1D semi-analytical solution for an anisotropic half-space model and verified the high accuracy of the SE. Moreover, we conducted AEM modeling for different anisotropic 3D abnormal bodies using two physical grid scales and three orders of SE to obtain the convergence conditions for different anisotropic abnormal bodies. Finally, we studied the identification of anisotropy for single anisotropic abnormal bodies, anisotropic surrounding rock, and single anisotropic abnormal body embedded in an anisotropic surrounding rock. This approach will play a key role in the inversion and interpretation of AEM data collected in regions with anisotropic geology.     

稀疏测线大地电磁资料三维反演研究:合成算例(英文)

受勘探成本和工区环境等因素的影响,当前大多数大地电磁实际工作采取布置稀疏测线采集数据和使用二维反演方法解释这些稀疏测线数据的方式。然而,二维反演方法在解释三维地电构造数据时存在局限性,有时甚至做出错误的地质解释。本文尝试了使用三维反演方法对大地电磁稀疏测线数据进行反演解释。使用大地电磁全信息资料三维共轭梯度反演程序对理论模型合成稀疏测线数据进行了三维反演。结果表明:这种反演方案是可行与有效的。同时,我们发现在不同数据的三维反演结果中,四个张量阻抗元素和两个倾子数据同时反演的结果相对更为准确,更接近理论模型。     

Fast approximate 1D modelling and inversion of transient electromagnetic data

A novel, fast, and approximate forward modelling routine for time‐domain electromagnetic responses is presented. It is based on the separation of the forward problem into a configuration‐independent part, mapping conductivity as a function of depth onto apparent conductivity as a function of time, and a configuration‐dependent part, i.e., the half‐space step response. The response of a layered model is then found as the half‐space response for a half‐space conductivity equal to the apparent conductivity. The mapping is ten times faster than traditional accurate forward modelling routines, and through stochastic modelling, it is found that the standard deviation of the modelling error is 0.7 %. The forward mapping lends itself to integration in a modern state‐of‐the‐art inversion formulation in exactly the same way as traditionally computed responses, and a field example is included where inversion results using the approximate forward response are compared with those of an accurate forward response for helicopterborne transient electromagnetic data. In addition to being used in its own right in inversion of transient data, the speed and accuracy of the approximate inversion mean that it is well suited for quality control and fast turnaround data delivery of survey results to a client. It can also be used in hybrid inversion formulations by supplying initial iterations and high‐quality derivatives in an inversion based on accurate forward modelling.     

Using constrained inversion of gravity and magnetic field to produce a 3D litho‐prediction model

Geologically constrained inversion of gravity and magnetic field data of the Victoria property (located in Sudbury, Canada) was undertaken in order to update the present three‐dimensional geological model. The initial and reference model was constructed based on geological information from over 950 drillholes to constrain the inversion. In addition, downhole density and magnetic susceptibility measured in six holes were statistically analysed to derive lower and upper bounds on the physical properties attributed to the lithological units in the reference model. Constrained inversion of the ground gravity and the airborne magnetic data collected at the Victoria property were performed using GRAV3D and MAG3D, respectively. A neural network was trained to predict lithological units from the physical properties measured in six holes. Then, the trained network was applied on the three‐dimensional distribution of physical properties derived from the inversion models to produce a three‐dimensional litho‐prediction model. Some of the features evident in the lithological model are remnants of the constraints, where the data did not demand a significant change in the model from the initial constraining model (e.g., the thin pair of diabase dykes). However, some important changes away from the initial model are evident; for example, a larger body was predicted for quartz diorite, which may be related to the prospective offset dykes; a new zone was predicted as sulfide, which may represent potential mineralisation; and a geophysical subcategory of metabasalt was identified with high magnetic susceptibility and high density. The litho‐prediction model agrees with the geological expectation for the three‐dimensional structure at Victoria and is consistent with the geophysical data, which results in a more holistic understanding of the subsurface lithology.     

大地电磁资料精细处理和二维反演解释技术研究(三)——构建二维反演初始模型的印模法

在主流的线性最优化大地电磁二维反演中,如何合理构建初始模型是一个亟待解决的问题.常用的是采用均匀半空间或一维反演结果构建初始模型,不易获得稳定可靠的反演效果.实践表明,尽管基于不同初始模型的大地电磁二维反演结果差别较大,但均较初始模型更为接近真实模型.基于这样一种认识,经过反复的理论和实践探索,我们提出构建大地电磁二维反演初始模型的印模法.印模法的基本思想是依据已有反演结果和均匀半空间模型之间的加权来确定下一步二维反演的初始模型,它一方面保留了已有反演结果中关于真实模型的宏观轮廓信息,另一方面,保证了深部电性结构的均匀性,从而满足大地电磁二维正演所要求的底边界条件.基于印模法,本文进一步提出了迭代重构的反演思想.通过多个理论模型和实测数据的反演计算,验证了上述方法可在很大程度上压制初始模型对反演结果的影响.     

Joint inversion of Rayleigh‐wave dispersion data and vertical electric sounding data: synthetic tests on characteristic sub‐surface models

In the traditional inversion of the Rayleigh dispersion curve, layer thickness, which is the second most sensitive parameter of modelling the Rayleigh dispersion curve, is usually assumed as correct and is used as fixed a priori information. Because the knowledge of the layer thickness is typically not precise, the use of such a priori information may result in the traditional Rayleigh dispersion curve inversions getting trapped in some local minima and may show results that are far from the real solution. In this study, we try to avoid this issue by using a joint inversion of the Rayleigh dispersion curve data with vertical electric sounding data, where we use the common‐layer thickness to couple the two methods. The key idea of the proposed joint inversion scheme is to combine methods in one joint Jacobian matrix and to invert for layer S‐wave velocity, resistivity, and layer thickness as an additional parameter, in contrast with a traditional Rayleigh dispersion curve inversion. The proposed joint inversion approach is tested with noise‐free and Gaussian noise data on six characteristic, synthetic sub‐surface models: a model with a typical dispersion; a low‐velocity, half‐space model; a model with particularly stiff and soft layers, respectively; and a model reproduced from the stiff and soft layers for different layer‐resistivity propagation. In the joint inversion process, the non‐linear damped least squares method is used together with the singular value decomposition approach to find a proper damping value for each iteration. The proposed joint inversion scheme tests many damping values, and it chooses the one that best approximates the observed data in the current iteration. The quality of the joint inversion is checked with the relative distance measure. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is performed for the typical dispersive sub‐surface model to illustrate the benefits of the proposed joint scheme. The results of synthetic models revealed that the combination of the Rayleigh dispersion curve and vertical electric sounding methods in a joint scheme allows to provide reliable sub‐surface models even in complex and challenging situations and without using any a priori information.     

频率域航空电磁数据的加权横向约束反演

传统的一维反演技术已经被广泛应用于航空电磁数据解释中.然而,利用单点水平层状介质模型模拟地下复杂地电结构有时会遇到困难.突出表现在反演参数的横向不连续性,即使相邻测点的反演结果也会出现突变.本文针对航空电磁直升机吊舱系统可进行密集采样,相邻测点地下电性结构应具有某种程度连续性的特点,研究航空电磁数据横向约束反演理论,并提出参数加权约束方法.首先阐述频率域航空电磁正演和加权横向约束反演理论,着重介绍这种拟二维反演方法的基本原理和实施步骤,以及将该方法成功应用于频率域航空电磁数据反演处理的方法技术.最后,通过对理论和实测数据反演处理,并与传统的一维反演结果进行对比,验证加权横向约束反演方法的有效性.     

部分区域约束下的交叉梯度多重地球物理数据联合反演

交叉梯度联合反演方法通过对多种地球物理模型实现结构耦合,在岩石物性关系不确定的情况下,既能提高反演结果的可靠性,又能减少反演的多解性,还能减少不同方法解释结果之间的矛盾.当不同的模型观测数据覆盖范围不一致时,交叉梯度联合反演通常需要取出重叠区域数据进行联合反演,并且建模时还要扩展一些模型范围.本文首先提出并实现了部分区域约束下的交叉梯度多重地球物理数据联合反演算法;接着进行了算法的模型试算;最后,我们将该反演算法用于本溪—集安深部地质调查重磁电综合地质地球物理解释中.结果表明:该算法不但能在重叠区域内很好地恢复结构相似的模型,而且在非重叠区域与重叠区域的边界处仍然可以得到平滑变化的模型;在本溪—集安10号剖面所获得的结构上相似的电阻率、密度及磁化率模型较好地反映了该区的深部地质结构,对于确定深部地质体的性质提供了有力的证据.     

The bedrock electrical conductivity map of the UK

Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys, when regionally extensive, may sample a wide-range of geological formations. The majority of AEM surveys can provide estimates of apparent (half-space) conductivity and such derived data provide a mapping capability. Depth discrimination of the geophysical mapping information is controlled by the bandwidth of each particular system. The objective of this study is to assess the geological information contained in accumulated frequency-domain AEM survey data from the UK where existing geological mapping can be considered well-established. The methodology adopted involves a simple GIS-based, spatial join of AEM and geological databases. A lithology-based classification of bedrock is used to provide an inherent association with the petrophysical rock parameters controlling bulk conductivity. At a scale of 1:625k, the UK digital bedrock geological lexicon comprises just 86 lithological classifications compared with 244 standard lithostratigraphic assignments. The lowest common AEM survey frequency of 3 kHz is found to provide an 87% coverage (by area) of the UK formations. The conductivities of the unsampled classes have been assigned on the basis of inherent lithological associations between formations. The statistical analysis conducted uses over 8 M conductivity estimates and provides a new UK national scale digital map of near-surface bedrock conductivity. The new baseline map, formed from central moments of the statistical distributions, allows assessments/interpretations of data exhibiting departures from the norm. The digital conductivity map developed here is believed to be the first such UK geophysical map compilation for over 75 years. The methodology described can also be applied to many existing AEM data sets.     

Generalised Series Expansion (GSE) used in DC geoelectric–seismic joint inversion

Horizontally layered (1D) earth models are often assumed as a model estimate for the interpretation of geophysical data measured along 2D geological structures. In this process, the individual data sets are usually inverted independently, and it is considered only in a later phase of interpretation that these local (1D) models have common characteristic features. Taking account of these common attributes, instead of the successive independent interpretations, the lateral variations of geometrical and petrophysical parameters can be efficiently determined for the whole 2D structure by applying a series expansion. Using global basis functions, two advantages can be achieved: (i) choosing an appropriate number of basis functions helps us to restrict the complexity of the model; (ii) the integration of all the data sets measured along the profile gives rise to the application of simultaneous or joint inversion methods. This results in a decrease of the number of independent unknowns, a higher stability during the inversion and a more accurate and reliable parameter estimation.In this paper, a joint inversion algorithm is presented using DC geoelectric apparent resistivities and refraction seismic travel times measured along various layouts above a 2D geological model. To describe lateral variations series, expansions are used, and furthermore, to improve the often used approximation of a (locally) 1D forward modelling, the integral mean value of the horizontally changing model parameters (calculated along an appropriately defined interval) is introduced. We call the inversion procedure that combines series expansions and the concept of integral mean Generalised Series Expansion (GSE) inversion. The method was developed and tested for both the simultaneous (integrating data sets of one method or methods on the same physical basis) and the joint inversion (where data sets of methods on different physical bases are joined together), using synthetic and field data sets. It is also demonstrated that the equivalence problem inherent in the independent inversion of DC geoelectric data can efficiently be resolved by the use of the joint GSE inversion method in the cases of conductive and resistive equivalent geological models.