Loop-loop EM inversion and its applicability to subsurface exploration

There are three types of frequency-domain loop-loop EM induction method, depending on the loop separation and their location relative to the ground surface: horizontal-loop EM (HLEM), fixed small-loop EM, and helicopter-borne EM (HEM) methods. Multidimensional inversion provides tomographic images of the subsurface resistivity structure and thus enhances the interpretational accuracy of loop-loop EM data. HLEM method is shown to be effective for exploring groundwater resources in weathered and fractured crystalline basement terrains in semi-arid regions. Also, HEM method is useful for locating weak zones in landslide areas. The applicability of inversion to small-loop EM data depends solely on the S/N ratio. The quadrature response of small-loop EM data can only give the equivalent conductivity of a homogenous half-space model, and thus the in-phase component is essential in inverting EM data. However, the in-phase response is much lower and decreases more rapidly with decreasing frequency than the quadrature response. Further work is needed to obtain conductivity-depth images from small-loop EM data.