A Fast Scheme for Inverting Single-Hole Electromagnetic Data

The extended Born, or localized nonlinear approximation of integral equation (IE) solution has been applied to inverting single-hole electromagnetic (EM) data using a cylindrically symmetric model. The extended Born approximation is less accurate than a full solution but much superior to the simple Born approximation. When applied to the cylindrically symmetric model with a vertical magnetic dipole source, however, the accuracy of the extended Born approximation is greatly improved because the electric field is scalar and continuous everywhere. One of the most important steps in the inversion is the selection of a proper regularization parameter for stability. Occam's inversion (Constable et al., 1987) is an excellent method for obtaining a stable inverse solution. It is extremely slow when combined with a differential equation method because many forward simulations are needed but suitable for the extended Born solution because the Green's functions, the most time consuming part in IE methods, are repeatedly re-usable throughout the inversion. In addition, the If formulation also readily contains a sensitivity matrix, which can be revised at each iteration at little expense. The inversion algorithm developed in this study is quite stable and fast even if the optimum regularization parameter Is sought at each iteration step. Tn this paper we show inversion results using synthetic data obtained from a finite-element method and field data as well.