Apparent magnetization mapping in the presence of strong remanent magnetization: The space-domain inversion approach

Abstract

Apparent magnetization mapping is a technique to estimate magnetization distribution in the subsurface magnetic layer from the observed magnetic data, of benefit in identifying lithologic units and delineating magnetic geologic boundaries. The conventional approaches for apparent magnetization mapping usually neglect effects of remanence, resulting in large geologic deviation and the occurrence of negative magnetization when the magnetic layer contains strong remanent magnetization. We have developed a space-domain inversion approach for apparent magnetization mapping based on the amplitude of magnetic anomaly (AMA), the analytic signal (AS), and the normalized source strength (NSS) to reduce effects of remanent magnetization. The AMA, AS, and NSS are three common quantities insensitive or weakly sensitive to the remanence transformed from the magnetic total field anomaly or components. The magnetic layer underground is first divided into a regular grid of vertical rectangular prisms, each having a cross-sectional area of one grid square and a uniform magnetization. Then, an iterative algorithm is adopted to invert each quantity of the AMA, AS, and NSS to obtain an optimum value of magnetization of each prism in the magnetic layer. The inversion approach permits the top and bottom surfaces of the magnetic layer to be constant or variable in depth, and requires no prior information of magnetization directions. Our tests on the synthetic and real data from the metallic ores area in the southern margin of North China have proved the feasibility and robustness of the presented inversion approach. All of the AMA, AS, and NSS inversions produced nonnegative magnetization distribution in the magnetic layer. Also, the AS and NSS inversions produced a better resolution of magnetization distribution than that of the AMA.