2024 Euler
2024 Euler
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Abstract: Mineral exploration projects can make considerable use of a variety of geophysical tech-
niques and datasets, including magnetic and gravity data. The interpretation of large quantities
of data can be very time consuming, so semi-automatic interpretation techniques are often used
to provide initial estimates of the parameters (primarily the location and depth) of the sources of
anomalies. Euler deconvolution is a commonly used interpretation method for potential fields which
has a number of advantages over many other techniques, such as working in the presence of remanent
magnetisation, and not being restricted to a particular model such as a contact. A second-order
version of Euler’s equation is introduced here, which is much less affected by trends in the data than
the standard method and additionally produces depth parabolas, which simplify the interpretation of
results. The method was applied to aeromagnetic data from a mineral exploration project in Southern
Africa and provided plausible results.
1. Introduction
Mineral exploration projects can make considerable use of a variety of geophysical
techniques, including magnetic and gravity data. The interpretation of large quantities of
geophysical data can be very time consuming, so semi-automatic interpretation techniques
are often used to provide initial estimates of the parameters (primarily the location and
Citation: Cooper, G.R.J. Using Euler
depth) of the sources of anomalies There are many semi-automatic interpretation tech-
Deconvolution as Part of a Mineral
niques available, such as analytic-signal-amplitude-based methods [1–4], Werner deconvo-
Exploration Project. Minerals 2024, 14, lution [5], source-distance approaches [6,7], and Euler deconvolution. Euler deconvolution
393. https://doi.org/10.3390/ is based on Euler’s homogenous function theorem, which is widely used throughout math-
min14040393 ematics and physics. It states that for homogenous functions (i.e., those in which all terms
are raised to the same power) of degree N, then [8–11]
Academic Editor: Stanisław Mazur
random noise, they can result in the smearing of the solution’s horizontal location and can
also make the results more sensitive to interference from adjacent anomalies. Sometimes
a background field term B is subtracted from the field f, but Euler’s equation is only for
single sources, which implies that (if necessary) this has already been done.
Euler deconvolution can also be applied to the Hilbert transform H(f ) of the data [12,13]
∂f ∂f
∆x − ∆z = −N·H( f ) (3)
∂z ∂x
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂f
∆x + ∆z = −( N + 1) (4)
∂x2 ∂x∂z ∂x
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂f
∆x + ∆z 2 = −( N + 1) (5)
∂x∂z ∂z ∂z
Applying Euler deconvolution to higher order derivatives of the field can reduce the
sensitivity of the method to regional field and interference issues. Euler deconvolution can
also be applied to combinations of the derivatives, such as the analytic signal amplitude [16]
or the Tilt angle [17].
Substituting Equations (4) and (5) into Equation (2) provides the second-order
Euler equation
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f
∆x2 2 + 2∆x ·∆z + ∆z2 2 = N ( N + 1) f (6)
∂x ∂z∂x ∂z
Higher order equations can be generated in a similar manner. Using Laplace’s equation, then
∂2 f ∂2 f
∆x2 − ∆z2 + 2∆x∆z = N ( N + 1) f (7)
∂x2 ∂z∂x
Equation (7) is solved for (∆x2 − ∆z2 ) and (2∆x·∆z) using a moving window of data
points in the usual manner, then ∆x and ∆z are obtained by solving a quadratic equation,
i.e., let a = (∆x2 − ∆z2 ) and b = (2∆x·∆z), then
1/2 1/2 1/2
1 2 2 2 2
∆x = √ a +b −a a +b +a (8)
2b
1/2 1/2
1 2
∆z = √ a + b2 −a (9)
2
Similarly substituting Equations (4) and (5) into Equation (3) provides the Hilbert
transform of Equation (7);
∂2 f ∂2 f
∆x2 − ∆z2 − 2∆x∆z 2 = N ( N + 1) H ( f ) (10)
∂z∂x ∂x
Note that the second-order equations do not have any first order derivative terms, which
makes them less sensitive to the presence of linear regional fields than Equations (2) and (3).
√ √
Additionally, as the depth of the source ∆z = −a when ∆x = 0 (Equation (7)), plotting −a
yields a ‘depth parabola’, which is a useful check on the validity of the Euler solutions.
Equations (4)–(10) use second-order derivatives of the field, which naturally can make
them sensitive to noise. If this is an issue, then either regularised derivatives [18] or upward
continuation of the field can be used.
Equations (4)–(10) use second-order derivatives of the field, which naturally can
make them sensitive to noise. If this is an issue, then either regularised derivatives [18] o
upward continuation of the field can be used.
Figure 1. (a) Magnetic anomaly from the dyke shown in (b–d) below. A linear trend (dotted line) is
added to the data. (b) Solutions from Euler deconvolution (Equation (2)) are shown as blue + symbols.
A SI of 1 and window size of 11 points is used. (c) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution
(Equation (7)) are shown as blue + symbols. A SI of 1 and window size of 11 points is used. The
depth parabola is overlain as a black line. (d) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution
(Equation (10)) are shown as blue + symbols. A SI of 1 and window size of 11 points is used. The
depth parabola is overlain as a black line.
Figure 2. (a)
Figure Magnetic
2. (a) Magneticanomaly fromthe
anomaly from thedyke
dyke model
model shown
shown in (b-d)
in (b-d) below.below. (b) Solutions
(b) Solutions from Eule
from Euler
deconvolution
deconvolution (Equation
(Equation(2)) areshown
(2)) are shownasas blue
blue + symbols.
+ symbols. A SIA of SI of 1window
1 and and window size
size of 11 of 11 point
points
is used.
is used. (c) (c) Solutionsfrom
Solutions from second-order
second-order Euler
Eulerdeconvolution (Equation
deconvolution (7)) are(7))
(Equation shown
are as blue +as blue
shown
symbols. A SI of 1 and window size of 11 points is used. The depth parabola is overlain as a black line.
(d) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution (Equation (10)) are shown as blue + symbols. A
SI of 1 and window size of 11 points is used. The depth parabola is overlain as a black line.
Minerals 2024, 14, 393 5 of 8
Figure 3. Cont.
Minerals 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 6 of 8
Minerals 2024, 14, 393 6 of 8
Figure
Figure (a)(a)
3. 3. Aeromagnetic
Aeromagnetic data
data from
from Southern
Southern Africa.
Africa. TheThe flight
flight line
line direction
direction is is north–south,
north–south, thethe
line spacing is 1 km, the grid interval is 0.25 km, and the flight height is 100 m.
line spacing is 1 km, the grid interval is 0.25 km, and the flight height is 100 m. The profiles marked The profiles marked
A A(left)
(left)and
and B (right)
(right)are
areshown
shown in Figures 3c and
in Figures 3c 4a,
andrespectively. (b) Depths
4a, respectively. (b) to vertically
Depths magnetized
to vertically
magnetized vertically
vertically dipping dipping
contacts contactsusing
obtained obtained using the
the method method[6],
of Cooper of from
Cooper [6], the
which from which
Figure the
is taken.
Figure is taken. (c) Aeromagnetic data profile ‘A’ from Figure 3a. (d) Solutions
(c) Aeromagnetic data profile ‘A’ from Figure 3a. (d) Solutions from Euler deconvolution (Equation (2)) from Euler
deconvolution
are shown as(Equation (2)) areAshown
blue + symbols. as blue
SI of 0.25 and+window
symbols. A SI
size ofof 0.25 and
7 points waswindow
used. (e) size of 7 points
Solutions from
wassecond-order Euler deconvolution (Equation (7)) are shown as black dots with blue andasred
used. (e) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution (Equation (7)) are shown black
error
dots with blue and red error bars overlain. A SI of 0.25 and window size of 7 points is used. The
bars overlain. A SI of 0.25 and window size of 7 points is used. The depth parabola is overlain as a
depth parabola is overlain as a black line. (f) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution
black line. (f) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution (Equation (10)) are shown as black
(equation 10) are shown as black dots with blue and red error bars overlain. A SI of 0.25 and window
dots
size of 7with blue
points is and
used.red
Theerror
depthbars overlain.
parabola A SI of 0.25
is overlain as a and
blackwindow
line. size of 7 points is used. The
depth parabola is overlain as a black line.
clusters, but the depths are reasonable compared with the Contact-Depth results. Th
solutions from the second-order Euler methods are slightly better clustered, but the dept
parabolas help to identify probable solution clusters (e.g., at locations of 15, 25, and 30 km
Minerals 2024, 14, 393 on Figure 4c. The addition of error bars to the plots again helps to identify 7 ofunreliabl
8
solutions, such as the shallow solutions in Figure 4d.
Figure 4. (a) Aeromagnetic data profile ‘B’ from Figure 3a. (b) Solutions from Euler deconvolution
Figure 4. (a) Aeromagnetic data profile ‘B’ from Figure 3a. (b) Solutions from Euler deconvolutio
Equation (2)) are shown as blue + symbols. A SI of 0.25 and window size of 7 points is used.
(equation 2) are shown as blue + symbols. A SI of 0.25 and window size of 7 points is used. (
(c) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution (Equation (7)) are shown as black dots with blue
Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution (Equation (7)) are shown as black dots with blu
and red error bars overlain. A SI of 0.25 and window size of 7 points is used. The depth parabola
and red error bars overlain. A SI of 0.25 and window size of 7 points is used. The depth parabola
is overlain as a black line. (d) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution (Equation (10)) are
overlain as a black line. (d) Solutions from second-order Euler deconvolution (Equation (10)) ar
shown as black dots with blue and red error bars overlain. A SI of 0.25 and window size of 7 points is
shown as black dots with blue and red error bars overlain. A SI of 0.25 and window size of 7 poin
used. The depth parabola is overlain as a black line.
is used. The depth parabola is overlain as a black line.
5. Conclusions
5. Conclusions
Mineral exploration projects have many different facets, and the use of modern data
processing techniques can greatly facilitate the process. Second-order Euler deconvolution
Mineral exploration projects have many different facets, and the use of modern dat
has been introduced and applied to both synthetic and real aeromagnetic datasets. In addi-
processing
tion to beingtechniques
less sensitive tocan greatly
regional facilitate
trends in thestandard
the data than process.
Euler Second-order
deconvolution Eule
deconvolution
(because it doeshasnot
been
use introduced
the first orderand appliedoftothe
derivatives both synthetic
data), and real depth
it also generates aeromagnet
datasets.
parabolas, which further aid in the interpretation of the results. Adding error bars to thestandar
In addition to being less sensitive to regional trends in the data than
Euler
Euler solutions shows
deconvolution their sensitivity
(because it does to theuse
not choice
the of structural
first index and assists
order derivatives of theindata),
the it als
assessment of their reliability.
generates depth parabolas, which further aid in the interpretation of the results. Addin
error bars to the Euler solutions shows their sensitivity to the choice of structural inde
Funding: This research received no external funding.
and assists in the assessment of their reliability.
Data Availability Statement: The data used in this project are confidential and not generally available.
Conflicts
Funding: of Interest:
This research The authors declare
received no conflicts
no external funding.of interest.
Minerals 2024, 14, 393 8 of 8
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