Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Society of Exploration Geophysicists  

Blurred resistivity boundaries resulting from smoothness-regularized inversions of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data can lead to inaccurate interpretations of sharp boundary structures. To address this issue, various ERT inversion algorithms have introduced localized adjustments (localized discontinuities) in the regularization operator at positions where sharp boundaries are anticipated. Current approaches rely on prior information about sharp boundary locations, obtained from complementary geophysical, geological, and drilling data, to determine the positions and weights for these regularization adjustments. However, such prior information is frequently insufficient, limiting the application of localized regularization adjustments. Accordingly, we developed a sharp boundary inversion (SBI) algorithm using the Akaike Bayesian Information Criterion (ABIC) that determines the optimal positions and weights for localized regularization adjustments by testing various configurations and selecting the one that minimizes ABIC. A synthetic modeling study demonstrated that the SBI algorithm correctly delineated the sharp boundaries of a conductor. Its application to field data demonstrated that it delineated the sharp boundaries of a utility tunnel, and the size and horizontal position of the recovered tunnel were consistent with the estimated dimensions from the blueprint. As it does not rely heavily on prior information, the SBI algorithm can be applied to a wide range of geophysical survey data, even when prior knowledge of sharp boundary locations is limited.

DOI： 10.1190/geo2024-0385.1

Scopus

Repository Public URL： https://hdl.handle.net/2324/7347409

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Oxford University Press (OUP)  

SUMMARY

Although controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) methods have higher sensitivity to thin resistive bodies than the magnetotelluric (MT) method, their delineation by the inversion requires CSEM data with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This study aims to enhance the SNR of CSEM data by increasing the number of stacks. To efficiently stack long-term data, we use an EM-accurately controlled, routinely operated signal system (ACROSS), which can transmit accurately controlled waveforms by synchronizing the transmitting waveforms with a 10 MHz Global Positioning System signal. We conducted a CSEM survey using the EM-ACROSS in the Kusatsu-Shirane Volcano to demonstrate that the SNR can be improved by extensive observation data and the CSEM inversion can delineate hydrothermal systems, including resistive bodies of vapour-rich reservoirs. Our EM-ACROSS simultaneously transmitted waveforms from two dipoles during a 192-h of the survey; five-component receivers located 4–6 km away from the transmitter captured EM-ACROSS signals ranging between 146 and 192 h. By stacking extensive observation data using a weighted method, the CSEM responses show minimal error levels, with standard errors <2 per cent for most frequencies. The SNR roughly followed the square root of the stacking times. 3-D inversion of the collected CSEM data delineated a relatively resistive body, interpreted as a vapour-dominated reservoir below a cap-rock layer, while the MT inversion failed to recover the same. This highlights the ability of an EM-ACROSS-based CSEM survey to delineate hydrothermal systems including vapour-dominated reservoirs, and provides a compelling rationale for establishing CSEM as a standard methodology in hydrothermal imaging. Furthermore, this study suggests that the enhanced imaging capabilities of CSEM data can be further improved when integrated with MT data.

DOI： 10.1093/gji/ggae431

Web of Science

Other Link： https://academic.oup.com/gji/article-pdf/240/2/1107/60941170/ggae431.pdf

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

Abstract

Near-seafloor concentrated gas hydrates (GHs) containing large amounts of methane have been identified at various gas chimney sites. Although understanding the spatial distribution of GHs is fundamental for assessing their dissociation impact on aggravating global warming and resource potential, the spatial distribution of GHs within gas chimneys remains unclear. Here, we estimate the subseafloor distribution of GHs at a gas chimney site in the Japan Sea using marine electrical resistivity tomography data. The resulting two-dimensional subseafloor resistivity structure shows high anomalies (10–100 Ωm) within seismically inferred gas chimneys. As the resistivity anomalies are aligned with high amplitude seismic reflections and core positions recovering GHs, we interpret the resistivity anomalies are near-seafloor concentrated GH deposits. We also detect various distribution patterns of the high resistivity anomalies including 100-m wide and 40-m thick anomaly near the seafloor and 500-m wide anomaly buried 50 m below the seafloor, suggesting that GHs are heterogeneously distributed. Therefore, considering such heterogeneous GH distribution within gas chimneys is critical for in-depth assessments of GH environmental impacts and energy resources.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-024-65817-4

Other Link： https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-65817-4

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Society of Exploration Geophysicists  

Deep-sea massive sulfide deposits formed by hydrothermal fluid circulation are potential metal resources. They can exist not only as mound manifestations on the seafloor (seafloor massive sulfides) but also as embedded anomalies buried beneath the seafloor (embedded massive sulfides). The distribution of embedded massive sulfides is largely unknown, despite their expected high economic value. Recent drilling surveys have revealed a complex model suggesting embedded massive sulfides coexist beneath seafloor massive sulfides. In the coexisting case, geophysical methods are required to distinguish and map seafloor and embedded massive sulfides for accurate resource estimation. Marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) methods are useful for mapping massive sulfides because they exhibit higher electrical conductivity compared with the surrounding host rock. However, CSEM applications capable of distinguishing and mapping the massive sulfides are lacking. We use a towed electric dipole transmitter with two types of receivers: stationary ocean-bottom electric (OBE) and short-offset towed receivers. This combination uses differences in sensitivity: the towed receiver data are sensitive to seafloor massive sulfides, and the stationary OBE receiver data are sensitive to embedded massive sulfides. Our synthetic data example demonstrates that the combined inversion of towed and OBE data can recover resistivities and positions of the massive sulfides more accurately than existing inversion methods using individual applications. We perform the combined inversion of measured CSEM data obtained from the middle Okinawa Trough. The inversion models demonstrate that a combined inversion can map the location and shape of embedded massive sulfides identified during drilling more accurately than the inversion of individual data sets.

DOI： 10.1190/geo2023-0389.1

Repository Public URL： https://hdl.handle.net/2324/7344022

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Society of Exploration Geophysicists  

A 3D marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) survey for mapping hydrocarbons uses dozens of ocean-bottom electric (OBE) receivers deployed in a grid pattern and several transmitter towlines. This study considers seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) exploration, and the horizontal survey scale of SMS is a few kilometers, which is small compared with hydrocarbon surveys of tens of kilometers. If we apply a 3D CSEM survey using a receiver deployment on grids to map SMS, high survey costs will be incurred despite the small survey size. We have developed a cost-effective 3D marine CSEM survey that uses fewer receivers than the survey with a receiver deployment on grids to reduce survey costs for SMS. This CSEM survey uses a line of OBE receivers in the center of the survey area and several transmitter towlines. Numerical tests demonstrate that our survey (seven OBE receivers) using 80% fewer receivers than the survey with a receiver deployment on grids (35 OBE receivers) is able to accurately map SMS, obtaining a performance similar to that of the receiver deployment on grids. Then, we explore SMS in the Ieyama hydrothermal area off Okinawa, southwest Japan, using our 3D CSEM survey with a line of six OBE receivers and three transmitter towlines. The resulting 3D resistivity distribution from the observed data highlights three potential SMS zones consisting of 0.2 ohm-m low resistivity embedded into 1 ohm-m sediment.

DOI： 10.1190/geo2021-0328.1

Scopus

Repository Public URL： https://hdl.handle.net/2324/7344000

Event date： 2023.11

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Event date： 2022.11

Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (invited, special)  

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)