Geophysical Applications

In collaboration with industry partners and academia, applied and basic research is conducted in geophysical methods and interpretation. At present, the research program consists of three main components:

System and Potential Field Methodology Development Potential Field Interpretation Tectonic Studies Magmatic Studies (Nov 25, 2002)

With industry partners and clients, new methods are developed to maximize the utility of magnetic and gravity data, in particular those in the Canadian Aeromagnetic and Gravity Data Bases, and applied to significant earth science problems.

• Draping Aeromagnetic Data (Sept. 17, 1998)
• Kimberlite Magnetic Anomalies
• Suppressing Varying Directional Trends in Aeromagnetic Data
• 3-D Analytic Signal
• 3-D Magnetic Imaging using Conjugate Gradients (Sept. 17, 1998)
• Use of Fractals in Potential Field interpretation (Sept. 15, 1998)
• Weighted Euler Deconvolution of Gravity Data

Magnetic and gravity data are interpreted in conjunction with other geoscience information to provide constraints on subsurface structure, for example in mining camps and in the western Canada Sedimentary Basin.

• Airborne Geophysical Survey of the Bathurst Mining Camp (Sept. 14, 1998)
• Gravity Prospecting for Massive Sulphide Deposits in the Bathurst Mining Camp (Aug. 17, 1998)

Past and present motions of tectonic plates are studied to provide a tectonic reference framework, for example for the formation of large oil and gas bearing sedimentary basins along Canada's Atlantic and Arctic continental margins.

• Map of the Age of the Ocean Floor
• Deformation of the Sudbury structure, Ontario
• History of the Arctic Ocean and its margins

Mafic magmatic events of large volume and short duration are studied in connection with mantle plumes, continental breakup and paleocontinental reconstruction, locating platinum group element ore deposits and catastrophic paleo-climatic changes.

• Large Igneous Provinces: Database (Nov 25, 2002)
• Large Igneous Provinces and Platinum Group Element (PGE) Exploration (Nov 25, 2002)
• Magnetic Research Facility for Tectonic Studies (Nov 25, 2002)
• Diabase Dyke Swarms and Related Units of Canada and Adjacent Regions [no link at present]