Correct structural index in Euler deconvolution via base-level estimates

Geophysics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. J87-J98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe F. Melo ◽  
Valéria C. F. Barbosa

In most applications, the Euler deconvolution aims to define the nature (type) of the geologic source (i.e., the structural index [SI]) and its depth position. However, Euler deconvolution also estimates the horizontal positions of the sources and the base level of the magnetic anomaly. To determine the correct SI, most authors take advantage of the clustering of depth estimates. We have analyzed Euler’s equation to indicate that random variables contaminating the magnetic observations and its gradients affect the base-level estimates if, and only if, the SI is not assumed correctly. Grounded on this theoretical analysis and assuming a set of tentative SIs, we have developed a new criterion for determining the correct SI by means of the minimum standard deviation of base-level estimates. We performed synthetic tests simulating multiple magnetic sources with different SIs. To produce mid and strongly interfering synthetic magnetic anomalies, we added constant and nonlinear backgrounds to the anomalies and approximated the simulated sources laterally. If the magnetic anomalies are weakly interfering, the minima standard deviations either of the depth or base-level estimates can be used to determine the correct SI. However, if the magnetic anomalies are strongly interfering, only the minimum standard deviation of the base-level estimates can determine the SI correctly. These tests also show that Euler deconvolution does not require that the magnetic data be corrected for the regional fields (e.g., International Geomagnetic Reference Field [IGRF]). Tests on real data from part of the Goiás Alkaline Province, Brazil, confirm the potential of the minimum standard deviation of base-level estimates in determining the SIs of the sources by applying Euler deconvolution either to total-field measurements or to total-field anomaly (corrected for IGRF). Our result suggests three plug intrusions giving rise to the Diorama anomaly and dipole-like sources yielding Arenópolis and Montes Claros de Goiás anomalies.

Geophysics ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. J87-J98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe F. Melo ◽  
Valeria C. F. Barbosa ◽  
Leonardo Uieda ◽  
Vanderlei C. Oliveira Jr. ◽  
João B. C. Silva

We have developed a new method that drastically reduces the number of the source location estimates in Euler deconvolution to only one per anomaly. Our method employs the analytical estimators of the base level and of the horizontal and vertical source positions in Euler deconvolution as a function of the [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-coordinates of the observations. By assuming any tentative structural index (defining the geometry of the sources), our method automatically locates plateaus, on the maps of the horizontal coordinate estimates, indicating consistent estimates that are very close to the true corresponding coordinates. These plateaus are located in the neighborhood of the highest values of the anomaly and show a contrasting behavior with those estimates that form inclined planes at the anomaly borders. The plateaus are automatically located on the maps of the horizontal coordinate estimates by fitting a first-degree polynomial to these estimates in a moving-window scheme spanning all estimates. The positions where the angular coefficient estimates are closest to zero identify the plateaus of the horizontal coordinate estimates. The sample means of these horizontal coordinate estimates are the best horizontal location estimates. After mapping each plateau, our method takes as the best structural index the one that yields the minimum correlation between the total-field anomaly and the estimated base level over each plateau. By using the estimated structural index for each plateau, our approach extracts the vertical coordinate estimates over the corresponding plateau. The sample means of these estimates are the best depth location estimates in our method. When applied to synthetic data, our method yielded good results if the bodies produce weak- and mid-interfering anomalies. A test on real data over intrusions in the Goiás Alkaline Province, Brazil, retrieved sphere-like sources suggesting 3D bodies.


Geophysics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valéria C. F. Barbosa ◽  
João B. C. Silva ◽  
Walter E. Medeiros

Euler deconvolution has been widely used in automatic aeromagnetic interpretations because it requires no prior knowledge of the source magnetization direction and assumes no particular interpretation model, provided the structural index defining the anomaly falloff rate related to the nature of the magnetic source, is determined in advance. Estimating the correct structural index and electing optimum criteria for selecting candidate solutions are two fundamental requirements for a successful application of this method. We present a new criterion for determining the structural index. This criterion is based on the correlation between the total‐field anomaly and the estimates of an unknown base level. These estimates are obtained for each position of a moving data window along the observed profile and for several tentative values for the structural index. The tentative value for the structural index producing the smallest correlation is the best estimate of the correct structural index. We also propose a new criterion to select the best solutions from a set of previously computed candidate solutions, each one associated with a particular position of the moving data window. A current criterion is to select only those candidates producing a standard deviation for the vertical position of the source smaller than a threshold value. We propose that in addition to this criterion, only those candidates producing the best fit to the known quantities (combinations of anomaly and its gradients) be selected. The proposed modifications to Euler deconvolution can be implemented easily in an automated algorithm for locating the source position. The above results are grounded on a theoretical uniqueness and stability analysis, also presented in this paper, for the joint estimation of the source position, the base level, and the structural index in Euler deconvolution. This analysis also reveals that the vertical position and the structural index of the source cannot be estimated simultaneously because they are linearly dependent; the horizontal position and the structural index, on the other hand, are linearly independent. For a known structural index, estimates of both horizontal and vertical positions are unique and stable regardless of the value of the structural index. If this value is not too small, estimates of the base level for the total field are stable as well. The proposed modifications to Euler deconvolution were tested both on synthetic and real magnetic data. In the case of synthetic data, the proposed criterion always detected the correct structural index and good estimates of the source position were obtained, suggesting the present theoretical analysis may lead to a substantial enhancement in practical applications of Euler deconvolution. In the case of practical data (vertical component anomaly over an iron deposit in the Kursk district, Russia), the estimated structural index (corresponding to a vertical prism) was in accordance with the known geology of the deposit, and the estimates of the depth and horizontal position of the source compared favorably with results reported in the literature.


Geophysics ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. D429-D444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang Liu ◽  
Xiangyun Hu ◽  
Tianyou Liu ◽  
Jie Feng ◽  
Wenli Gao ◽  
...  

Remanent magnetization and self-demagnetization change the magnitude and direction of the magnetization vector, which complicates the interpretation of magnetic data. To deal with this problem, we evaluated a method for inverting the distributions of 2D magnetization vector or effective susceptibility using 3C borehole magnetic data. The basis for this method is the fact that 2D magnitude magnetic anomalies are not sensitive to the magnetization direction. We calculated magnitude anomalies from the measured borehole magnetic data in a spatial domain. The vector distributions of magnetization were inverted methodically in two steps. The distributions of magnetization magnitude were initially solved based on magnitude magnetic anomalies using the preconditioned conjugate gradient method. The preconditioner determined by the distances between the cells and the borehole observation points greatly improved the quality of the magnetization magnitude imaging. With the calculated magnetization magnitude, the distributions of magnetization direction were computed by fitting the component anomalies secondly using the conjugate gradient method. The two-step approach made full use of the amplitude and phase anomalies of the borehole magnetic data. We studied the influence of remanence and demagnetization based on the recovered magnetization intensity and direction distributions. Finally, we tested our method using synthetic and real data from scenarios that involved high susceptibility and complicated remanence, and all tests returned favorable results.


Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. J59-J70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Ribeiro-Filho ◽  
Rodrigo Bijani ◽  
Cosme Ponte-Neto

Knowledge of the total magnetization direction of geologic sources is valuable for interpretation of magnetic anomalies. Although the magnetization direction of causative sources is assumed to be induced by the ambient magnetic field, the presence of remanence should not be neglected. An existing method of correlating total and vertical gradients of the reduced-to-the-pole (RTP) anomaly estimates the total magnetization direction well. However, due to the numerical instability of RTP transformation in the Fourier domain, an assumption should be considered for dealing with inclination values at approximately 0°. We have adopted an extension to the standard crosscorrelation method for estimating the total magnetization direction vector, computing the RTP anomaly by means of the classic equivalent layer technique for low inclination values. Additionally, an ideal number of equivalent sources within the layer is considered for reducing the computational demands. To investigate the relevant aspects of the adopted method, two simple synthetic scenarios are presented. First, a magnetic anomaly produced by a homogeneous and isolated vertical dike is considered. This test illustrates the good performance of the adopted approach, finding the true magnetization direction, even for low inclination values. In the second synthetic test, a long-wavelength component is added to the previous magnetic total-field anomaly. In this case, the method adopted here fails to estimate a reliable magnetization direction vector, showing weak performance for strong interfering magnetic anomalies. On the real data example, the application tests an isolated total-field anomaly of the Carajás Mineral Province, in northern Brazil, where the inclination of the ambient magnetic field is close to zero. The obtained results indicate weak remanence in the estimated total magnetization direction vector, which would never be reached in the standard formulation of the crosscorrelation technique.


Geophysics ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. L79-L90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Gerovska ◽  
Marcos J. Araúzo-Bravo ◽  
Kathryn Whaler ◽  
Petar Stavrev ◽  
Alan Reid

We present an automatic procedure for interpretation of magnetic or gravity gridded anomalies based on the finite-difference similarity transform (FDST). It is called MaGSoundFDST (magnetic and gravity sounding based on the finite-difference similarity transform) and uses a “focusing” principle in contrast to deriving multiple clusters of many solutions as in the widely used Euler deconvolution method. The source parameters are characterized by isolated solutions, and the interpreter obtains parallel images showing the horizontal position, depth, and structural index [Formula: see text] value. The underlying principle is that the FDST of a potential field anomaly becomes zero or linear at all observation points when the central point of similarity (CPS) of the transform coincides with a source field’s singular point and a correct [Formula: see text] value is used. The procedure involves calculating a 3D function that evaluates the linearity of the FDST for a series of [Formula: see text] values, using a moving window and sounding the subsurface along a verticalline under each window center. We then combine the 3D results for different [Formula: see text] values into a single map whose minima determine the horizontal position of the sources. The [Formula: see text] value and the CPS depth associated with each minimum determine the [Formula: see text] value and depth of the corresponding source. Only one estimate characterizes a simple source, which is a major advantage over other window-based procedures. MaGSoundFDST uses only the measured anomalous field and its upward continuation, thus avoiding the direct use of field derivatives. It is independent of the magnetization-vector direction in the magnetic data case. The procedure accounts for a linear background of local gravity or magnetic anomalies and has been applied effectively to several cases of synthetic and real data. MaGSoundFDST shares common features with the magnetic and gravity sounding based on the differential similarity transform (MaGSoundDST) but is more stable in estimating depth and structural index in the presence of random noise.


Geophysics ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. L21-L30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soraya Lozada Tuma ◽  
Carlos Alberto Mendonça

We present a three-step magnetic inversion procedure in which invariant quantities with respect to source parameters are inverted sequentially to give (1) shape cross section, (2) magnetization intensity, and (3) magnetization direction for a 2D (elongated) magnetic source. The quantity first inverted (called here the shape function) is obtained from the ratio of the gradient intensity of the total-field anomaly to the intensity of the anomalous vector field. For homogenous sources, the shape function is invariant with source magnetization and allows reconstruction of the source geometry by attributing an arbitrary magnetization to trial solutions. Once determined, the source shape is fixed and magnetization intensity is estimated by fitting the total gradient of the total-field anomaly (equivalent to the amplitude of the analytic signal of magnetic anomaly). Finally, the source shape and magnetization intensity are fixed and the magnetization direction is determined by fitting the magnetic anomaly. As suggested by numerical modeling and real data application, stepped inversion allows checking whether causative sources are homogeneous. This is possible because the shape function from inhomogeneous sources can be fitted by homogeneous models, but a model obtained in this way fits neither the total gradient of the magnetic anomaly nor the magnetic anomaly itself. Such a criterion seems effective in recognizing strongly inhomogeneous sources. Stepped inversion is tested with numerical experiments, and is used to model a magnetic anomaly from intrusive basic rocks from the Paraná Basin, Brazil.


Geophysics ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. J33-J41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. F. Ferreira ◽  
Jeferson de Souza ◽  
Alessandra de B. e S. Bongiolo ◽  
Luís G. de Castro

Magnetic anomaly maps reflect the spatial distribution of magnetic sources, which may be located at different depths and have significantly different physical and geometrical properties, complicating the identification of the corresponding geologic structures. Filtering techniques are frequently used to balance anomalies from shallow and deep sources, and to enhance certain features of interest, such as the edges of the causative bodies. Most methods used for enhancing magnetic data are based on vertical or horizontal derivatives of the magnetic anomalies or combinations of them, and the edges or centers of the sources are identified by maxima, minima, or null values in the transformed data. Normalized derivatives methods are used to equalize signals from sources buried at different depths. We present an edge detector method for the enhancement of magnetic anomalies, which is based on the tilt angle of the total horizontal gradient. The notable features of this method are that it produces amplitude maxima over the source edges and that it equalizes signals from shallow and deep sources. The method is applied to synthetic and real data. The effectiveness of the method is evaluated by comparing it with other edge detection methods that have been previously reported in the literature and that make use of derivatives. The results show that our method is less sensitive to variations in the depth of the sources and that it indicates the position of the edges of causative bodies in a more accurate fashion, when compared with previous methods, even for anomalies due to multiple interfering sources. These results demonstrate that the proposed method is a useful tool for the qualitative interpretation of magnetic data.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Ferreira de Melo ◽  
Valeria Cristina Ferreira Barbosa

Geophysics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. L23-L28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristofer Davis ◽  
Yaoguo Li ◽  
Misac N. Nabighian

Euler and extended Euler deconvolution applications use an assumed structural index (SI) or calculate the SI, respectively, for magnetic anomaly data within a specified window. The structural index depends on the source type: specifically, the rate at which the field produced by the source decays. We have examined the effects that the application of low-pass filtering to magnetic data has on estimating the SI. Using a simple low-pass filter, we derived the SI for filtered-field solutions directly over, and away from, a target based on the magnetic potential of a vertical dipole [Formula: see text]. We validated this approach by applying extended Euler deconvolution to synthetic and field examples. In general, filtered magnetic data will decrease the numerically determined SI to a value lower than the theoretical one. The slope and cutoff wavelength of the filter directly affect the estimated SI solutions. The results prove that one must take into account filtering for the application of Euler deconvolution to locate dipole anomalies for unexploded ordnance detection.


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