Large-Scale 3D Modeling and Inversion of Multiphysics Airborne Geophysical Data: A Case Study from the Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia
by
Michael S. Zhdanov 1,2, Fouzan A. Alfouzan 3
, Leif Cox 1, Abdulrahman Alotaibi 3, Mazen Alyousif 3, David Sunwall 1 and Masashi Endo 1,*
Michael S. Zhdanov 1,2, Fouzan A. Alfouzan 3, Leif Cox 1, Abdulrahman Alotaibi 3, Mazen Alyousif 3, David Sunwall 1 and Masashi Endo 1,*
1
TechnoImaging, Salt Lake City, UT 84107, USA
2
Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
3
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, (KACST) Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Minerals 2018, 8(7), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/min8070271
Received: 29 April 2018 / Revised: 12 June 2018 / Accepted: 22 June 2018 / Published: 27 June 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mining and Mineral Exploration Geophysics)
Recent developments in large-scale geophysical inversions made it possible to invert the results of entire airborne geophysical surveys over large areas into 3D models of the subsurface. This paper presents the methods for and results of the interpretation of the data acquired by a multiphysics airborne geophysical survey in Saudi Arabia. The project involved the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of airborne electromagnetic, gravity, and magnetic geophysical data over an 8000 square kilometer area. All the collected data were carefully analyzed and inverted in 3D models of the corresponding physical properties of the subsurface, including 3D density, magnetization vector, and conductivity models. This paper summarizes the interpretation of all geophysical data sets collected during the field airborne survey. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate how the advanced 3D modeling and inversion methods can be effectively used for interpretation of multiphysics airborne survey data and to study and analyze the potential of the survey area for natural resource exploration in Saudi Arabia.
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Keywords:
airborne; multiphysics; large-scale; 3D; inversion; Arabian Shield
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MDPI and ACS Style
Zhdanov, M.S.; Alfouzan, F.A.; Cox, L.; Alotaibi, A.; Alyousif, M.; Sunwall, D.; Endo, M. Large-Scale 3D Modeling and Inversion of Multiphysics Airborne Geophysical Data: A Case Study from the Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia. Minerals 2018, 8, 271.
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