Applications of gravity and magnetic surveys: The state‐of‐the‐art in 1985

There is a continuous large demand for gravity and magnetic surveys all over the world for a variety of exploration applications, all of which require the geophysicist to provide some new insight into the geology of an area at scales ranging from very large to very small. To achieve this objective, (a) surveys must be carried out accurately, and (b) their results must be interpreted in sympathy with what is already known of the geology. The methodology for acquiring and compiling data appears to be keeping pace with modern technology. Methods of quantitatively interpreting anomalies in terms of models of causative bodies are adapting rapidly to the burgeoning availability of computing power, from large, powerful machines to inexpensive and field‐portable microcomputers. Geologic interpretation, or the identification of physical property distributions in terms of realistic geologic models and processes, is still relatively neglected—in practice and, regretably, in the geophysical literature. Research into the relationships between physical rock properties—particularly magnetite distribution—and geology is gaining momentum, but research still lags behind the requirements of the conscientious geophysical interpreter.