Enhancement of electromagnetic anomalies by a conducting overburden

Abstract

The effect of a conducting overburden on the electromagnetic response of sulphide ore-bodies has been studied with the help of quantitative electromagnetic model experiments. These experiments were conducted at a fixed, crystal controlled, frequency of 100 kHz using a number of transmitter-receiver configurations, though the results discussed here mostly pertain to a horizontal coplanar system. An analysis of the anomaly profiles-after accounting for the regional anomaly-indicates a general enhancement of the response. This is attributed (a) to the concentration of the current lines in the host-rock effected by the embedded target and (b) to the change in the phase and space orientation of the field vectors, brought about by the conducting overburden. The enhancement is most pronounced in the case of non-symmetrical bodies such as veins and ribbon-like structures represented by sheet models, but is also observed to a lesser degree for isometric structures. These results are expected to pave the way for a more accurate interpretation of the induction prospecting data.