The Theory of Inductive Prospecting

An update to a classic reference published fifteen years ago, this publication concerns the theoretical aspects of inductive electromagnetic methods applied in geophysical prospecting. From first principles, the electromagnetic responses of several models are derived and analysed in order to form a strong basis for understanding such phenomenon in practice. The original work has been extended by using modern 3-D modeling capabilities with a special emphasis on airborne applications. Exploration and research geophysicists will appreciate the numerous closed-form and asymptotic electromagnetic expressions for spherical and clylindrical conductors contained within non-conductive and conductive hosts which are described in this volume. Responses based on such expressions are often presented in graphical and tabular form in order to help the reader visualise the significance of the results and in order to facilitate comparisons with physical and numerical modeling results. In contrast to the first edition, key results are summarised at the end of each chapter and old material that has been retained in the new edition has been clarified and in many instances corrected. A new chapter has been written in which an extensive evaluation of several different airborne electromagnetic systems is described. The evaluation was based on the utilization of an advanced 3-D modeling program to simulate complex geoelectrical situations that are of interest in exploration and in airborne resistivity mapping.