On the automatic interpretation of direct current resistivity soundings

A method for the automatic inversion of resistivity soundings is presented. The procedure consists of two main stages. First, application of linear filters which transforms the apparent resistivity curve into the kernel function, and vice versa. In the second stage the first and second derivatives of the kernel function are calculated and used in a second-order modified Newton-Raphson iterative fitting procedure. The model obtained is optimal in the least squares sense. The method has been tried on some field examples and produced resistivity models which show a good agreement with the geological well logs.     

Magnetic survey of Lake Kinneret-central Jordan Valley,Israel

A magnetic survey of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) was conducted on a 1 km grid of north-south and east-west lines. The results indicate that the margins of the lake are associated with large amplitude anomalies, while the centre is quite smooth. The largest anomaly, more than 500 nT, was detected in the vicinity of the entrance of the Jordan River into the lake. Its source is interpreted to be Late Cenozoic basaltic flows. The lake's margins are associated with faults, hot springs and magnetic anomalies. A broad magnetic anomaly trending east-northeast extends from Ginosar Valley into the lake through most of the lake's width. The distribution of basalt flows of different ages and the various structures of the magnetized layers are all contributing to the magnetic anomaly pattern.     

Matrix polynomial representation of the anisotropic magnetotelluric impedance tensor

A formalism based upon the equal penetration depth stratification assumption is extended to a layered anisotropic medium, yielding a recursive algorithm for the computation of the magnetotelluric impedance tensor elements. The development of this new procedure requires an appropriate layer-discretization as well as an extension of the reflection coefficient definition for the anisotropic layered model.This method transfers the differential problem into an algebraic one, and is independent of the electric and magnetic field vectors. The technique is a recursive process which gives a rational matrix polynomial representation for the magnetotelluric impedance tensor.The procedure involves the use of second-order matrices, rather than the fourth-order ones normally used for such a case. Using this representation, a separation of the contribution of the model parameters from that of the frequency is achieved. Consequently the elements of the magnetotelluric impedance tensor are computed, for each frequency, using coefficients which are evaluated just once for a given model.     

Electromagnetic mapping of electrical conductivity beneath the Columbia basalts1

Sedimentary rocks beneath the Columbia River Basalt Group are recognized as having potential for oil and gas production, but the overlying layered basalts effectively mask seismic reflections from the underlying sediments. Four electromagnetic (EM) methods have been applied on profiles crossing Boylston Ridge, a typical east–west trending anticline of the Yakima Fold Belt, in an attempt to map the resistivity interface between the basalts and the sediments and to map variations in structure and resistivity within the sediments. The EM surveys detected strong variations in resistivity within the basalts, and in particular the continuous magnetotelluric array profiling (EMAP) revealed resistivity lows beneath the surface anticlines. These low resistivity zones probably coincide with fracturing in the core of the anticlines and they appear to correlate well with similar zones of low seismic velocity observed on a nearby seismic profile. The controlled-source EM surveys (in-loop transient, long-offset transient, and variable-offset frequency-domain) were designed in anticipation of relatively uniform high resistivity basalts, and were found to have been seriously distorted by the intrabasalt conductors discovered in the field. In particular, the resistivity sections derived from 1D inversions were found to be inconsistent and misleading. The EMAP survey provided the most information about the subsurface resistivity distribution, and was certainly the most cost-effective. However, both controlled-source and EMAP surveys call for accurate 2D or 3D inversion to accommodate the geological objectives of this project.     

Seamont magnetism in the Ionian Sea,eastern Mediterranean

Several seamounts in the Ionian Sea, the largest unit in the eastern Mediterranean, have magnetic anomalies. The magnetization vectors of six of these seamounts have been calculated. These paleomagnetic data suggest that the Ionian Sea is composed of several crustal units which came to their present location from different directions. This implies that there has been relative motion in the past between various land masses around the Ionian Sea. The possibility that the Ionian Sea is composed of several crustal units is supported by observations of the magnetic field over the area which is of different character in the north and south. The major limitation in applying the paleomagnetic data into an evolutionary scheme is that all the seamounts in the Ionian Sea as well as its crust are undated.