Conductivity-depth imaging of helicopter-borne TEM data based on a pseudolayer half-space model

Abstract

Helicopter-borne time-domain electromagnetic (HTEM) systems with a concentric horizontal coil configuration have been used increasingly in mineral exploration. Conductivity-depth imaging (CDI) is a useful tool for mapping the distribution of geologic conductivity and for identifying conductive targets. A CDI algorithm for HTEM systems with a concentric coil configuration is developed based on the pseudolayer half-space model. Primary advantages of this model are immunity to altimeter errors and better resolution of conductive layers than other half-space models. Effective depth is derived empirically from the diffusion depth and apparent thickness of the pseudolayer. A table lookup procedure is established based on the analytic solution of a half-space model to speed up processing. This efficiency makes generation of real-time conductivity-depth images possible. Tests on synthetic data demonstrate that the pseudolayer conductivity-depth-imaging algorithm maps a wider range of conduc-tivities and does a better job of resolving highly conductive layers, compared with that of the homogeneous half-space model. Effective depths are close to true depths in many circumstances. Field examples show stable and geologically meaningful conductivity-depth images.