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Gravity Method in Geophysical Exploration

Presentation · April 2018

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Wadhah Mahmood Shakir Al-Khafaji

ALKARKH UNIVERSITY FOR SCIENCE
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‫دور الطريقة الجذبية في االستكشاف الجيوفيزيائي‬

‫‪PRESENTED BY :‬‬
‫‪Dr. Wadhah M.S. AL-Khafaji‬‬
Principle
In gravity surveying, subsurface geology is investigated
on the basis of variations in the Earth’s gravitational field
arising from differences of density between subsurface
rocks. An underlying concept is the idea of a causative
body, which is a rock unit of different density from its surroundings.
A causative body represents a subsurface zone
of anomalous mass and causes a localized perturbation in
the gravitational field known as a gravity anomaly.
 A table shows some of the main potential methods used in Geophysical surveying

Geophysical Subsurface target Principle Major Applications

method measurement

Electrical resistivity Resistivity Ohms law 1- Groundwater detection

method 2- Engineering purposes
3- mining purposes

Gravity method Density Newton's law of 1- oil and gas related subsurface
gravity geological structures (Oil Traps)
2- subsurface geological
structures detection for
Engineering purposes
3- Mining purposes

Magnetic method Susceptibility Earths magnetic 1- metals mining purposes

Elements 2- Archeological applications and
buried metal objects
3- subsurface geological
structures detection for
Engineering purposes
 Principle
The basis of the gravity survey method is Newton’s Law of Gravitation,
which states that the force of attraction F between two masses m1
and m2, whose dimensions are small with respect to the distance r
between them, is given by:

where G is the Gravitational Constant (6.67x10-11m3 kg-1 s-2).

Consider the gravitational attraction of a spherical,non-rotating, homogeneous
Earth of mass Mand radius Ron a small mass mon its surface. It is relatively simple
toshow that the mass of a sphere acts as though it were concentrated at the
centre of the sphere and by substitution in equation:

Force is related to mass by an acceleration and the term g = GM/R2 is known as

the gravitational acceleration or, simply, gravity. The weight of the mass is given
by mg.
Lacost and Romberg Gravimeter
Section in Gravimeter
Worden Gravimeter
Rock Densities Effecting the Gravimetric field
 Estimation of Bouguer Anomaly Value
Corrections applied on
gravimeter readings to
Obtain the Observed
Gravity Readings:
1- Instrumental
calibrations
2-Drift Correction
3- Total Elevation
Correction
( Free Air + Bouguer
Correction)
4- Terrain Correction
5- Latitude Correction
Tot. Bouguer Gravity Value =(Observed Gravity Readings ± All corrections) – gɸ the theoritical Gravity Value)
Gravity anomaly over causative bodies
Mapping ,Profiling and Modelling
Increasing Contour Density and manual Gridding of Total
Bouguer Gravity map
The manual gridding included (760 points) grid for Bouguer anomaly map and (1119 points)
for the aeromagnetic map
Total Bouguer anomaly and Total Magnetic Field maps.
Residual Bouguer and (RTP) Residual Magnetic fields surfaces.
2nd Directional Derivative for the Residual Bouguer and RTP residual Magnetic fields.
Comparative Geophysical Interpretations along the (VES) Profile lines
AL-Khir Valley Region at Najaf Ashraf SW Iraq
Applying the 2nd order polynomial regression
to obtain the regional gravity field
Subtracting Gravity regional from total anomaly to
obtain the Residual Anomaly
Profiling across the expected fault location
Finding the depth to the center of the fault
Gravity study at SW Qa’im City - Iraq
 References
•Al-Khafaji W.M.S.,2017, Gravity Field Interpretation for Major Fault Depth Detection in
a Region Located SW- Qa’im / Iraq, Baghdad Journal of Science , CSW University of
Baghdad ,(accepted for publishing , March,2017)

•Kearey P., Brooks M., Hill I.,2002, An Introduction toGeophysical Exploration, Blackwell
Science Ltd, Printed and bound in Great Britain byTJ International, Padstow,
Cornwall,281 pages.

•Al-Khafaji W.M.S. 2016, Gravity field interpretation for subsurface faults detection in a
region located SW-Iraq, Iraqi Journal of Science,Vol.57,No.3C, pp.2270-2279.

•Al-Khafaji, W.M.S., 2014. A geophysical study to evaluate the groundwater reserve and
structural situation os south Sinjar anticline region – NW Iraq Ph.D. dissertation.
University of Baghdad – College of Science – Department of Geology, 171 pages.

•Sharma, P.V., 1986. Geophysical Methods in Geology. Elsevier Science Publishing Co.,
Inc., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 442
pages.

•AL-Kadhimi J.A.M. and Fattah A.S.,1994, Bouguer Anomalies map of Iraq, published
byIraqi GEOSURV, Baghdad /Iraq.
 References
•Surfer V.11.1.719 software, 2012, Surfer mapping system, Golden Software Inc.
•Toushmalani. R.2010. Application of Gravity Method in Fault Path Detection, Australian
Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 4(12), pp:6450-6460.

•Tchernychev M., 2007, MagPick V 2.88 magnetic processing and interpretation, Courtesy
of Geometrics, Geometrics, Inc. USA.

•Jassim, S.Z., Hagobian D.H. and ALHashimi H.A., 2000, Geological Map of Iraq,
published by the Iraqi GEOSURV.

•Blakely, R. J. 1996. Potential theory in gravity and magnetic applications. Cambridge

University Press, First Edition. Cambridge U.K., pp:1-437.

•Buday T. and Jassim S.Z. 1984 , Geological Map of Iraq,1:1000000 scale series, sheet
No.2, Tectonic Map of Iraq, Published by the Iraqi GEOSURV, Baghdad.

•Dobrin, M.B.1976. Introduction to Geophysical Prospecting, Mc GrawHill Inc., pp:1-747.

•Parasnis, D.S.1971. Physical Property Guide for Rocks and Minerals. ABEM, Stockholm.
Geophys.Mem., 4171, p:12.

•Griffiths, D.H., King, R.F., 1981. ‘‘Applied Geophysics for Geologists and Engineers” the
Elements of Geophysical Prospecting, second ed. Pergamon Press, 201 pages.
 References
•Getech, 2007, Advanced Processing and Interpretation of Gravity and Magnetic Data,
getech software catalog, UK,27 pp , sited by www.getech.com .

•Biswas A.,2015, Interpretation of residual gravity anomaly caused by simple shaped

Bodies using very fast simulated annealing global optimization, Geoscience Frontiers,
Volume 6, Issue 6, Pages 875–893

•Wu G., Chongyang S. , Hongbo T. and Yang G.,2016,Gravity anomaly and crustal
density structure in Jilantai rift zone and its adjacent region, Springer, Earthquake
Science
29(4) pp 235–242.
•Bakkali1 S. and Amrani M. 2008, About the use of spatial interpolation methods to
denoising Moroccan resistivity data phosphate “Disturbances” map , Acta Montanistica
Slovaca Ročník 13 (2008), číslo 2, 216-222.

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