Comparative analysis of hypotheses of the geoelectric structure of the Transcaucasian region from magnetotelluric data

Various hypotheses of the geoelectric structure of the Transcaucasian region reflecting a priori geological and geophysical information and data from profile magnetotelluric (MT) soundings are analyzed. These hypotheses are used to construct simplified 3-D models of electrical conductivity differing in the patterns of the shallow and deep structure of the region. Numerical modeling of MT fields is performed. Comparative analysis of its results indicates that the most probable conductivity model consistent with the available data is a model involving a high-conductivity channel connecting the Black and Caspian seas.