Interpretation of regional geophysical data for mapping subsurface geology and hydrogeology

资源勘探过程的一个重要组成部分是收集区域航空地球物理数据。当与地质和地球化学数据相结合时，解释人员可以利用地球物理来选择地点，进行更详细的工作，这将有助于发现矿物、碳氢化合物和地下水。我的研究计划是开发创新工具，大幅提高机载磁法和电磁法的效率。机载数据通常是沿着飞行导线收集的，样本每隔5到15米，但导线可以相隔100米或更多。这些数据在行之间进行内插，以在统一的“网格”上生成数据集。此内插过程通常运行良好，但以与飞行直线倾斜的角度倾斜的狭窄要素采样不佳，因此栅格不能很好地表示底层地质，显示出锯齿伪影。第一个项目是让一个学生开发一种计算机算法，该算法能够生成一个没有人工制品的网格，更好地代表潜在的地质。这种新的算法将为地球科学家提供工具，他们可以在日常基础上使用这些工具来生成更好的网格，从而了解地下地质并更有效地寻找地球资源。第二个项目是让一名研究生使用改进的网格数据来确定潜在的地质来源。前人发展起来的SLUTH方法，很好地估计了断层或岩脉的深度。理论的发展将允许学生开发一种创新的新方法来解释地质特征的深度和厚度。在寻找离散的高导电体时，机载电磁数据是最重要的。确定导电矿体是否是有价值的矿藏的方法是钻一个旨在与矿体相交的洞。只有从电磁数据中正确地估计出目标的深度和方向，钻孔才会与目标相交。项目3将建立在理论工作的基础上，表明物体在任意倾斜(倾角)时的电磁响应可以分解为水平和垂直偶极子在相同深度的响应。这使得能够为电磁数据开发类似于用于磁性数据的自动方案的简单解释方案。也有可能将该理论扩展到任意方向的情况。第四个项目将涉及计算导电覆盖层下方离散导体的响应，这对于在安大略省北部“火环”地区勘探资源非常重要，该地区最近发现了镍和钴。第五个项目将允许处理航空电磁数据，以便使用磁共振成像(MRI)直接绘制地下水资源图。这些核磁共振成像方法用于地面系统，但使用现有机载电磁数据的更原始形式的技术可能被用于选择需要地面系统跟进的区域。首四个项目将在随后的拨款申请中发展为进一步的项目，以提高我们绘制地质图、了解地质过程、监测环境和勘探稀有矿藏的能力。第五个项目是概念验证项目；该技术将在随后的赠款中得到进一步开发，为区域水资源勘探开发一种具有成本效益的技术。随着地球上人口的增长以及非洲和亚洲的发展，水和矿产资源的需求将会很大，对环境的监测将非常重要。

An important component of the resource exploration process is the collection of regional airborne geophysical data. When integrated with geological and geochemical data, an interpreter can use the geophysics to select sites for more detailed work that will assist in the discovery of minerals, hydrocarbons and groundwater. My research program is to develop innovative tools that will substantially improve the efficacy of airborne magnetic and electromagnetic methods.Airborne data are normally collected along flight traverses with samples every 5 to 15 m, but the traverses can be 100 m apart or more. These data are interpolated between the lines to generate a data set on a uniform “grid”. This interpolation process generally works well, but narrow features that trend at angles oblique to the flight lines are not well sampled, so the grid is not a good representation of the underlying geology, showing aliasing artifacts. The first project is to have a student develop a computer algorithm that is capable of generating a grid free of artifacts that better represents the underlying geology. This new algorithm would provide geoscientists with tools that they could use on a daily basis to generate better grids and hence understand the sub-surface geology and find earth resources more effectively. The second project will be for a graduate student to use the improved gridded data to determine the underlying geological source. The SLUTH method, developed previously, is good for estimating the depth to faults or dykes. A theoretical development would allow a student to develop an innovative new method for interpreting the depth and thickness of the geological feature. Airborne electromagnetic data are most important when looking for discrete highly conductive bodies. The way to determine if the conductive body is a valuable mineral deposit is to drill a hole aimed to intersect the body. A drill hole will only intersect the target if the depth and orientation of the target can be estimated correctly from the electromagnetic data. Project 3 will build on theoretical work that shows that the electromagnetic response of a body at an arbitrary inclination (dip) can be decomposed into the response of horizontal and vertical dipoles at the same depth. This enables a simple interpretation scheme to be developed for electromagnetic data that is similar to the automatic schemes used for magnetic data. It might also be possible to extend the theory to the case of arbitrary strike direction. A fourth project would involve calculating the response of the discrete conductor below conductive overburden, which is very important for exploring for resources in the "ring of fire" area in northern Ontario, an area where nickel and cobalt have recently been discovered.The fifth project would allow airborne electromagnetic data to be processed so as to directly map water in the subsurface using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These MRI methods are used with ground systems, but a cruder form of the technique that uses existing airborne electromagnetic data might be used to select areas that would warrant follow up with a ground system. The first four projects will develop into further projects in subsequent grant applications to improve our ability to map geology, understand geological processes, monitor the environment and explore for scarce mineral deposits. The fifth project is a proof of concept project; the technology will be further developed in subsequent grants, developing a cost effective technique for regional exploration for water. With the growing population on the planet and the development in Africa and Asia, water and mineral resources will be in strong demand and monitoring the environment will be very important.