TMP E664
TMP E664
TMP E664
1, JANUARY 2006
Abstract—This letter proposes a novel extremely low frequency 3) good stability compared to higher frequency methods that
(ELF) radar for major oil deposits. Using our recently developed are more influenced by ionospheric disturbances.
whole-Earth electromagnetic wave propagation model based upon
the finite-difference time-domain method, we have determined that
Due to these particular properties of ELF waves, Velikhov
detection of the radial (vertical) component of the scattered -field et al. introduced the idea of simultaneously performing studies
provides a sensitive means to detect oil fields that are located within around the globe involving oil-bearing rock, seismic regions,
several kilometers of the Earth’s surface. As an example, we pro- ionospheric wave propagation, and other areas of geophysics
vide numerical simulations of ELF radar returns from a hypothet- using one powerful ELF source.
ical Alaskan oil field excited by a 20-Hz pulse emitted from the
former U.S. Navy site in Wisconsin. The proposed method would
The ELF sounding methodology described in [1] and [2],
potentially provide means to rapidly and inexpensively conduct however, involves EM field impedance measurements to deter-
aerial surveys of thousands of square kilometers for significant oil mine the resistivity of the underlying rock. This requires mea-
deposits. surement of both the tangential electric field and the tan-
Index Terms—Aerial electromagnetic surveying, Earth, electro- gential magnetic field near the Earth’s surface. In this
magnetic sounding, extremely low frequency (ELF), finite-differ- letter, we propose a novel ELF radar for major oil deposits that
ence time-domain (FDTD), oil field, SQUID magnetometer, U.S. requires detection of only the radial magnetic field, , as a
Navy Wisconsin Transmitter Facility (WTF). low-frequency pulse is radiated outward from a distant pow-
erful ELF antenna. Using rigorous, large-scale computational
I. INTRODUCTION solutions of Maxwell’s equations, we have determined that
exhibits an unexpected and very high degree of sensitivity to the
Fig. 2. Comparison of the absolute value of the time waveforms for surface Fig. 3. Comparison of the absolute value of the time waveforms for surface
H at 156 W, 69 N in Alaska for a pulsed 20-Hz signal originating H at 156 W, 69 N in Alaska for a pulsed 20-Hz signal originating from WTF,
from WTF, normalized to the peak incident H : (a) Incident pulse and normalized to the peak incident H : (a) Incident pulse and (b) radar signature
(the difference between the calculated surface magnetic field component in
2 2
(b) radar signature (the difference between the calculated surface magnetic field
2 2
component in models A and B) for a 28 39 1:25 km conductivity anomaly models A and B) for a 28 39 1:25 km conductivity anomaly at a mean
at a mean depth of 1.25 km. The Matlab function “smooth” was applied to the depth of 1.25 km. The Matlab function “smooth” was applied to the data to
data to filter out high-frequency fluctuations arising from subtraction noise. filter out high-frequency fluctuations arising from subtraction noise.
plane. We also find from analogous studies involving deeper Our ongoing work in this area includes developing a paral-
conductivity anomalies that measuring becomes increas- lelized alternative hexagonal/pentagonal 3-D geodesic FDTD
ingly superior for anomalies at greater depths. Furthermore, the grid with superior efficiency [15], [16].
outline (shape and size) of conductivity anomalies can be de-
termined. Finally, we find that these radar signatures are de-
tectable given the results of [2] in which was measured for REFERENCES
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