Magnetic interpretation using a least-squares, depth-shape curves method

Abstract

We have developed a least-squares approach to depth determination from residual magnetic anomalies caused by simple geologic structures. By normalizing the residual magnetic anomaly using three characteristic points and their corresponding distances on the anomaly profile, the problem of determining depth from residual magnetic anomalies has been transformed into finding a solution to a nonlinear equation of the form z = f(z). Formulas have been derived for spheres, horizontal cylinders, thin dikes, and contacts. The method is applied to synthetic data with and without random noise. We have also developed a method using depth-shape curves to simultaneously define the shape and depth of a buried structure from a residual magnetic anomaly profile. The method is based on determining the depth from the normalized residual anomaly for each shape factor using the least-squares method mentioned above. The computed depths are plotted against the shape factors on a graph. The solution for the shape and depth of the buried structure is read at the common intersection of the depth-shape curves. The depth-shape curves method was successfully tested on theoretical data with and without random noise and applied to a known field example from Ontario.