Potential Fields

Potential Fields Course


VIDL Network experience can introduce you to Potential Fields, or more specifically, gravity and magnetics. Magnetic data are a little more complicated to use since the magnetic field is dipolar. This means that a magnetized body’s signature (anomaly) character has a minimum and a maximum, and it changes shape based on its geographic relation to the earth’s magnetic field. The initial measured fields must therefore be corrected for geographic location. Once the magnetic field is corrected, the interpretation of geologic structures becomes simpler because their signatures (anomalies) relate to the size, shape, depth, and magnetic susceptibility of the various bodies.

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Guide: PF 105 – Density

2022-01-10T08:26:59-06:00

  Gravity exploration must account for the horizontal and vertical differences in density which occur in subsurface geologic features. Gravity anomalies require lateral density discontinuities such as stratigraphic or structural changes in the subsurface. Vertical density differences in the subsurface will change the bias or overall amplitude level of a gravity map or profile but will not produce gravity anomalies. Learning Objectives After [...]

Guide: PF 106 – Magnetic Susceptibility

2022-01-10T08:27:20-06:00

  Magnetic susceptibility is known as the ratio of the magnetization of a material to the magnetic field strength; it is a tensor when these two quantities are not parallel, otherwise it is a number. The magnetic susceptibility of a rock is proportional to the volume percent of magnetic minerals. Magnetic susceptibility (k) is a trace property of the rocks because the percentage [...]

Guide: PF 107 – Velocity

2022-01-10T08:27:30-06:00

  Velocity, in this context, is the speed (distance / time) of sound (a compression wave) through rock (which may contain fluid and gas). Velocity may be used to determine rock densities and convert seismic information from time to depth. The rock velocity which correlates to its density is measured as interval velocity. That is the velocity between two depths; i.e., a thickness [...]

Guide: PF 108 – Salt Magnetic Susceptibility

2022-01-10T08:27:39-06:00

Airborne magnetic surveying for petroleum exploration continues to routinely and indisputably reveal interesting and measurable magnetic anomalies (as small as 0.1 nT under the best survey conditions) which arise from geological variations within the sedimentary section. These so-called intra-sedimentary magnetic anomalies are detectable from aeromagnetic data acquired with stringent aeromagnetic survey design and acquisition specifications/techniques. Usually often only new or recent vintage data (typically since [...]

Guide: PF 109 – Normal Faults Signature: an exercise in pattern recognition

2022-01-10T08:27:47-06:00

  Each geologic province may have unique geological or geophysical parameters. Therefore the prospective anomaly signature associated with each individual province will vary accordingly. Pattern recognition of anomaly signature is of vital importance to all interpretation sciences. The following discussion is one of a series of six on the importance of pattern recognition for geophysicists and geologists interested in obtaining a working knowledge [...]

Guide: PF 110 – Syncline and Anticline Signatures – an exercise in pattern recognition

2022-01-10T08:27:56-06:00

  Each geologic province may have unique geological or geophysical parameters. Therefore prospective anomaly signature associated with each individual province will vary accordingly. Pattern recognition of anomaly signature is of vital importance to all interpretation sciences. The following discussion is for geophysicists and geologists interested in obtaining a working knowledge of what type of signal patterns are associated with potential fields data. The [...]

Guide: PF 111 – Intrusive Signatures – Salt – Shale – Mafic

2022-01-10T08:28:04-06:00

  Each geologic province has unique geological or geophysical parameters. Prospective anomaly signatures associated with each individual province will vary accordingly. Pattern recognition of anomaly signatures is of vital importance to all interpretation sciences. The following discussion is one of a series of six on the importance of pattern recognition. Geoscientist need to have a working knowledge of what type of signal patterns [...]

Guide: PF 112 – Basement Lithology – Structure Signatures

2022-01-10T08:28:12-06:00

  Each geologic province has unique geological or geophysical parameters and therefore prospective gravity and magnetic signatures associated with each individual province will vary accordingly. Pattern recognition of anomaly signatures is of vital importance to all interpretation sciences. The following discussion is one of a series of six on the importance of pattern recognition. Basement is sometimes described as a mosaic of crystalline [...]

Guide: PF 113 – Dipping Beds Signatures – an exercise in pattern recognition

2022-01-10T08:28:21-06:00

  Each geologic province may have unique geological or geophysical parameters. Therefore prospective anomaly signature associated with each individual province will vary accordingly. Pattern recognition of anomaly signature is of vital importance to all interpretation sciences. The following discussion is one of a series of six on the importance of pattern recognition for geophysicists and geologists interested in obtaining a working knowledge of [...]

Guide: PF 116 – Optimum Profile

2022-01-10T08:28:29-06:00

  What is an optimal profile and how should an interpreter select one? Selecting the optimal profile is one of the most important initial steps in 2D modelling and depth estimation. By making a proper selection you can make sure the parameters resulting from your calculations have not been distorted. In most cases the optimal profile to analyze is normal to the strike [...]

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