Magnetic Data Interpretation Using a New R-Parameter Imaging Method with Application to Mineral Exploration

Natural Resources Research volume 30, pages77–95(2021)Cite this article

Abstract

A new imaging method has been developed for elucidating the observed magnetic data gauged along profile. The method is based on the calculation of the correlation factor (the R-parameter) between the analytic signal of the measured magnetic anomaly and the analytic signal of the calculated response of some geometrically simple interpretive models in the confined category of sheets, cylinders, and spheres. The characteristic parameters (amplitude coefficient, depth, location, approximative shape of the buried structure, and effective angle of magnetization) of the interpretive model correspond to the maximum R-parameter value. The scheme has been verified on a number of noise-free synthetic examples and recovered the actual model parameters. Prior to applying the developed scheme to real-field examples, the accuracy of it has been carefully investigated on synthetic examples which are contaminated with realistic noise levels, interference effects, and regional field. Finally, the method has been successfully applied to three real-field data examples from the USA, Senegal, and Egypt for mineral exploration, and it is found that the obtained results are in good concordance with those obtained from drilling and/or the published literature.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Prof. John Carranza, Editor-in-Chief, and three careful reviewers for their helpful comments, which improved and guided our paper.

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  1. Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, P.O. 12613, Giza, Egypt

    Salah Mehanee, Khalid S. Essa & Zein E. Diab

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  1. Salah Mehanee
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Correspondence to Zein E. Diab.

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Mehanee, S., Essa, K.S. & Diab, Z.E. Magnetic Data Interpretation Using a New R-Parameter Imaging Method with Application to Mineral Exploration. Nat Resour Res 30, 77–95 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-020-09690-8

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Keywords

  • Magnetic data interpretation
  • R-parameter imaging method
  • Analytic signal
  • Mineral exploration