Magnetite mapping with a multicoil airborne electromagnetic system

Abstract

The information content of data from an in‐phase quadrature electromagnetic (EM) system consists of a combination of conductive eddy current response and magnetic polarization response. The secondary field resulting from conductive eddy current flow is frequency‐dependent and consists of both in‐phase and quadrature components of positive sign. Conversely, the field resulting from magnetic polarization is commonly frequency‐independent and consists of only an in‐phase component of negative sign. A magnetite mapping technique was developed for the horizontal coplanar coils of a closely coupled multicoil airborne EM system. The technique yields contours of apparent weight percent magnetite when using a homogeneous half‐space model. The method can be complementary to magnetometer mapping in certain cases. Compared to magnetometry, it is far less sensitive but is more able to resolve closely spaced magnetite zones. The method is also independent of remanent magnetism and magnetic latitude. It is sensitive to .25 percent magnetite by weight when the sensor is at a height of 30 m above a magnetitic half‐space. It can individually resolve steeply dipping narrow magnetite‐rich bands which are separated by 60 m.