past research

Past research

The UBC Geophysical Inversion Facility has conducted theoretical and applied research on geophysical inversion, modelling, and methodologies. Projects that have been completed are listed below.

Mouse-over on the following links displays an outline to the right. Links within the outline point to further details.

- MDRU-GIF collaboration
- SP forward modelling and inversion
- TIME
- MMR and MIP
- Oil / gas / tar sands
- UXO research
- IMAGE
- San Nicolas
- INDI
- JACI
- E-scan

3D spontanious (or self) potentials:
Modelling and inversion of SP data

Research goals: Development of numerical procedures for modelling and inversion of 3D spontaneous potentials data, especially for monitoring of earth embankment dams, as well as improving the understanding of this phenomenon.

Start date: 2003

End date: 2007

Principal personnel: Sheffer, Oldenburg, Shekhtman

Sponsors: Sponsors:British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro), Canadian Electrical Association Dam Safety Interest Group (CEATI-DSIG), Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

Description: link to a one page description.

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MDRU-GIF:
Enhancing the Exploration Process: the 3D integration of Geology, Rock Properties, and Geophysics
Research goals: To develop methodologies and numerical procedures for combining geology, physical properties, and geophysical inversion for 3D interpreted earth models.

Start date: 2003

End date: 2008

Principal personnel: Doug Oldenburg, Dick Tosdal, Greg Dipple, Kelly Russell, James Scoates, Ken Hickey, Nigel Phillips, Claire Chamberlain, Dianne Mitchinson, Wilma Pretorius, Peter Lilievre, Victoria Skerrit, Nick Williams

Sponsors: NSERC, Teck Cominco Ltd., INCO, Placer Dome Inc., WMC Resources Ltd., Kennecott Exploration, Anglo American Plc, AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., Barrick, Geoinformatics Exploration, Noranda / Falconbridge.

Description: link to the project description.

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E-Scan:
3D modelling and inversion of pole-pole DC resistivity data
Dates: 1989 - 1991

Personnel: Yaoguo Li, Robert G. Ellis, Misac Nabighian, Doug Oldenburg, Rob Ellis and Greg Shore.

Sponsors: NSERC, B.C. Science and Technology Fund, E-SCAN Technologies

Publications: publications page items 2, 3, 4, and 6.

Thesis: -

Accomplishments: Modelling and inversion of 3D pole-pole DC resistivity data (more details).

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UXO research
Dates: 2000 - ongoing

Personnel: Billings, Pasion, Oldenburg, Fallat, Beran.

Sponsors: NSERC, Sky Research, US Army, SERDP.

Publications: Please see the UXO website.

Thesis: Pasion, Beran

Accomplishments: The UBC-GIF is conducting several research and development projects related to detection and classification of unexploded ordnances. For more details please refer to the UXO website.

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Oil / gas / tar sands:
Inversion of EM data for oil, gas, and tarsands exploration
Dates: 2003

Personnel: J. Cristall, S. Napier, D. Oldenburg, C. Farquharson, J.P. Chen.

Sponsors: NSERC, .

Publications: -

Thesis: Cristall and Napier on the thesis page.

Accomplishments:
See the separate summary page.

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MMR and MIP:
Modelling and inversion of DC magnetic fields - magnetometric resistivity and magnetometric induced polarization surveys
Dates: 2001 - 2004

Personnel: Jiuping Chen, Douglas W. Oldenburg, and Eldad Haber.

Sponsors: NSERC, Carried out within the context of the IMAGE project.
Publications: publications page items 93, 89, 85, 80, 73, 68.

Thesis: -

Accomplishments: See the MMR summary page.

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San Nicolas:
Application modelling and inversion of multiple geophysical surveys for regional, local and deposit scale investigations at the San Nicolas Deposit, Mexico
Dates: 2000 - 2002

Personnel: Nigel Phillips, Doug Oldenburg, Jiuping Chen, Yaoguo Li , Partha Routh.

Sponsors: NSERC, Carried out within the context of the IMAGE project.

Publications: publications page items 58, 66.

Thesis: Phillips on the thesis page.

Accomplishments:
See the thesis abstract, and
the San Nicolas case history.

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IMAGE:
Inversion and Modelling of Applied Geophysical Electromagnetic data:
Dates: 1999 - 2003

Personnel: Doug Oldenburg, Eldad Haber, Uri Ascher, David Aruliah, Juiping Chen.

Sponsors: NSERC, Newmont, Falconbridge, Placer Dome, Anglo American, INCO, Electromagnetic Instruments Inc. (EMI), MIM, Cominco, AGIP, Muskox Minerals, BHP-Billiton, Rio Tinto.

Publications: Most of the publications page items between 2000 and 2004 inclusive.

Thesis: -

Accomplishments: The sponsors received fully functional modelling and inversion codes, each with graphical user interfaces and utilities for viewing results:
(i) EM1DFM (1D forward modelling of frequency domain EM data);
(ii) EH3D (3D forward modelling of frequency domain EM data);
(iii) EH3Dinv (3D inversion of frequency domain EM data);
(iv) MT3D (3D forward modelling of magnetotelluric data);
(v) MT3Dinv (3D inversion of magnetotelluric data).
(vi) EH3DTD (3D forward modelling of time domain EM data);
(vii) Links: (A) The current summary page. (B) an 8-page summary of IMAGE project outcomes.
More details here.

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INDI:
3D Inversion of DC Resistivity and IP data
Dates: 1997 - 1998

Personnel: Yaoguo Li, Doug Oldenburg, Partha Routh, Roman Shekhtman.

Sponsors: NSERC, Placer Dome, BHP Minerals, Cominco Exploration, Falconbridge, INCO Exploration & Technical Services, Newmont Gold Company, Rio Tinto, Anglo American.

Publications: publication #44.

Thesis: -

Accomplishments: 3D inversion algorithms for both DC and IP were developed which can:
(1) Incorporate surface topography,
(2) Handle different electrode geometries (including borehole),
(3) Jointly invert surface and borehole data,
(4) Handle large problems (a few thousand data and a hundred thousand model parameters).

Also, aAspects of large problems involved investigations and incorporation of the use of:
(1) Wavelet transforms,
(2) Interior point methods,
(3) Generalized cross validation (GCV).
More details here.

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JACI
Joint And Cooperative Inversion of geophysical and geological data
Dates: 1991 - 1997

Personnel: Yaoguo Li, Robert G. Ellis, Doug Oldenburg, Colin Farquharson, Yuval, Partha Routh, Roman Shekhtman.

Sponsors: NSERC, BHP Minerals, CRA Exploration, Cominco Exploration, Falconbridge, Hudson Bay Exploration and Development, INCO Exploration & Technical Services, Kennecott Exploration Company, Newmont Gold Company, Noranda Exploration, Placer Dome, WMC.

Publications: Most items on the publications page between 1992 and 1999.

Thesis: See McGillivray, Li, Zhang, Farquharson, Zudman, Routh, Haber on the thesis list page.

Accomplishments: Research and technology transfer highlights from 6 years of research (more details):
(i) Inversion methodologies for individual geophysical survey types, and corresponding software program libraries delivered to sponsors, and later released for commercial and academic licensing.
(ii) General aspects of inversion theory.
(iii) Fundamental scientific advances.
(iv) Interaction and collaboration between researchers and users (sponsors, licensees).
(v) Technology transfer beyond JACI.

NOTE: most software, case histories and tutorials are outcomes from JACI research.

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T.I.M.E.: Time domain Inversion and Modelling of Electromagnetic data
Research goals: Development of methodologies and software for 3D modelling and inversion of time domain electromagnetic geophysical data.

Start date:1-May-03

End date: 31-Aug-05

Personnel: Oldenburg, Haber, Farquharson, Song, Shekhtman, Phillips

Sponsors: NSERC, Anglo, Inco, Falconbridge, Newmont, Placer, Teck-Cominco, AGIP / ENI, MIM.

Description: Click for a project outline page.

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Summaries of past research projects will appear here as your mouse moves over the titles to the left.