Integrated inversion of airborne geophysics over a structural geological unit: A case study for delineation of a porphyry copper zone in Iran

This work presents the application of an integrated geophysical survey of magnetometry and frequency-domain electromagetic data (FDEM) to image a geological unit located in the Kalat-e-Reshm prospect area in Iran which has good potential for ore mineralization. The aim of this study is to concentrate on a 3D arc-shaped andesite unit, where it has been concealed by a sedimentary cover. This unit consists of two segments; the top one is a porphyritic andesite having potential for ore mineralization, especially copper, whereas the lower segment corresponds to an unaltered andesite rock. Airborne electromagnetic data were used to delineate the top segment as a resistive unit embedded in a sediment column of alluvial fan, while the lower andesite unit was detected by magnetic field data. In our research, the FDEM data were first inverted by a laterally-constrained 1D program to provide three pieces of information that facilitate full 3D inversion of EM data: (1) noise levels associated with the FDEM observations, (2) an estimate of the general conductivity structure in the prospect area, and (3) the location of the sought target. Then EM data inversion was extended to 3D using a parallelized OcTree-based code to better determine the boundaries of the porphyry unit, where a transition exists from surface sediment to the upper segment. Moreover, a mixed-norm inversion approach was taken into account for magnetic data to construct a compact and sharp susceptible andesite unit at depth, beneath the top resistive and non-susceptible segment. The blind geological unit was eventually interpreted based on a combined model of conductivity and magnetic susceptibility acquired from individually inverting these geophysical surveys, which were collected simultaneously.