Abstract
The subsurface fault structure near Al Khoud area of Muscat city, Sultante of Oman, was investigated using very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) method at two different transmitter frequencies namely 15.1 and 16.0 kHz. The measured in-phase and out-of-phase components were processed and interpreted in order to determine the depth to the top and width of the fault by Kharous-Hjelt filtering and the amplitude of analytical signal approach. In addition, the principal profiles from the contour maps of in-phase and out-of-phase components when processed and interpreted yield similar results for depth and width of the fault structure. The over all results suggest that the nature of fault structure is dipping as it lies at a wide range of depth from different profiles. The results are presented highlighting the merits of the methods.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fraser DC (1969) Contouring of VLF-EM data. Geophysics 34:958–967
Fraser, DC (1981) A review of some useful algorithms in geophysics. Canadian Institute of Mining Transactions 74(828):76–83
Karous, M, Hjelt, SE (1977) Determination of apparent current density from VLF measurements: report. Department of Geophysics, Univeristy of Oulu, Finland, Contribution No 89, 19 pp.
Karous M, Hjelt SE (1983) Linear filtering of VLF dip-angle measurements. Geophys Prospect 31:782–794
Mann A, Hanna SS, Nolan SC (1990) The post-Cambrian tectonic evolution of the Central Oman Mountains: Tertiary extension of the Eastern Arabian Margin. The Geological Society of London 49:549–563
Nabighian, MN (1972) The analytical signal of 2D magnetic bodies with polygonal cross section, its properties and use for automated anomaly interpretation Geophysics 37:507–12
Nolan SC, Skelton PW, Clissold BP, Smewing JD (1990) Maastrichtian to early Tertiary stratigraphy and paleogeography of the Central and Northern Oman Mountains. The Geological Society of London 49:495–510
Ogilvy RD, Lee AC (1991) Interpretation of VLF-EM in-phase data using current density pseudosections. Geophys Prospect 39:567–580
Philips WJ, Richards WE (1975) A study of the effectiveness of the VLF method for the location of narrow, mineralized fault zones. Geoexploration 13:215–226
Powers, CJ, Kamini Singha, and F. Peter Haeni (1999) Integration of surface geophysical methods for fracture detection in bedrock at Mirror Lake, New Hampshire. Proceedings of Technical Meeting of US Geological Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, Charleston, South Carolina. USGS Water Resources Investigations Report
Sundararajan N, Ramesh Babu V, Shiva Prasad N, Srinivas Y (2006) VLFPROS—a Matlab code for processing of VLF-EM data. Comput Geosci 32:1806–1813
Sundararajan N, Chary MN, Nandakumar G, Srinivas Y (2007) VLF and VES—an application to groundwater exploration, Khammam, India. The Leading Edge 26:708–716
Sundararajan N, Srinivas Y (2010) Fourier Hilbert versus Hartley Hilbert transforms with some geophysical applications. J Appl Geophys 71:157–161
Sundararajan N, Ramesh Babu V and Chatruvedi AK (2011) Detection of basement fractures favorable to uranium mineralization from VLF-EM signals: Journal of Geophysics and Engineering(IOP) 8:330–340
Wright, JL, (1988) VLF Interpretation Manual. EDA Instruments (now Scintrex. Ltd.), Concord, Ont.
Acknowledgments
The authors record their sincere and profound thanks to the reviewers for their useful suggestions to improve the manuscript as presented. This work forms part of the undergraduate final year project of the first author.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Al Bulushi, A.M., Al Wardi, M., Al Shaqsi, B. et al. Mapping of subsurface fault structures by VLF-EM method in Al Khoud area, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Arab J Geosci 9, 349 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2331-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2331-z