Slide 1

Induced Polarization (IP)

Basic principles

Data Acquistion

Pseudosection

Inversion

Case Histories



Induced Polarization
Current injected into ground and the voltage continues
to increase.
Recognized in 1950s: it was termed Over-voltage.
Understand the effect in terms of charge accumulation.
The phenomenon is called induced polarization.
I source V potential
Not chargeable Chargeable
Source
(Amps)
Potential
(Volts)
Chargeability is a microscopic phenomenon
Thoroughly understanding what is happening at the microscopic level
is scientifically challenging. In practice we work with the concept of
chargeability
Chargeability
pyrite
chalcocite
copper
graphite
chalcopyrite
bornite
galena
magnetite
malachite
hematite
13.4 ms
13.3 ms
12.3 ms
11.2 ms
9.4 ms
6.3 ms
3.7 ms
2.2 ms
0.2 ms
0.0 ms
Minerals at 1% Concentration in Samples
Chargeability: rocks and minerals
Earth materials are chargeable
Initial situation
Neutrality
Apply an electric field
Build up of charges
Net effect
Charge Polarization
Electric dipole
Induced Polarization: Over-voltage
Not chargeable Chargeable
Source
(Amps)
Potential
(Volts)
Chargeability Data: Time domain IP
Intrinsic chargeability
0<n<1 (dimensionless)
Integrate over the decay
Sample a channel
(msec)
mV/V
IP data: frequency domain
Percent frequency effect:


Phase:
low freq. f
2
high freq. f
1

Source
current
Measured
potential
V
1

V
2

I I
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
1
1 2
100
a
a a
PFE

Source
current
Measured
potential
Phase (mrad)
phase (mrad)
Data acquisition
Data are acquired along with DC resistivity data (just
sample a different part of the waveform)

Data are plotted as pseudosections (exactly the
same as DC resistivity)

For IP the data plotted in the pseudosections will
have units (mV/V, msec, mrad, PFE).
Earth
Energy Source In
Measured signals
Out = Data
Plotting plane
~ v
Plotting plane
~ v
Plotting plane
~ v
Plotting plane
~
v
IG
V
a
A
=
t

2
Each data point is an apparent resistivity:
~
v
~
v
(Click for animation)
DC resistivity and IP data
Example IP pseudosection
2) A chargeable block.
2) A chargeable block and geologic noise.
Example IP pseudosection
3) The UBC-GIF model
Example IP pseudosection
Pseudosections conclusions
Except for very simple structures, geologic
interpretations can not be clearly made directly from
pseudosections.

Interpretation is even more difficult in 3D
Given:
- Field observations
- Error estimates
- Ability to forward model
- Prior knowledge
Choose a suitable
misfit criterion
Design model
objective function
Discretize the Earth
Perform inversion
Evaluate results Iterate
Interpret preferred model(s)
Summary: what is needed to invert a data set?
( )
}
= dx m m
s m
2
0
o |
}
|
.
|

\
|
+ dx m m
dx
d
x
2
0
) ( o
}
|
.
|

\
|
+ dz m m
dz
d
z
2
0
) ( o
Summary of IP data types:
Time domain:
Theoretical chargeability (dimensionless).
Integrated decay time (msec).

Frequency domain:
PFE (dimensionless)
Phase (mrad)

For all data types, Jq = d .

where J is a sensitivity matrix that requires that the
electrical conductivity is known. We find by
inverting the DC resisitivity data.

DC / IP data
gathered together
Use o model for
forward mapping of
chargeability
IP
Data
Invert potentials
for conductivity
model
Potential (i.e. voltage) data
Conductivity model
Invert for
chargeability models
Chargeability model
IP Inversion
Inversion of IP data
Step 1: Invert V
m
to obtain o.


Step 2: Generate sensitivities


Step 3: Invert the IP data (any form) by solving:
j
i
ij
J
o
|
ln
ln
c
c
=
obs
d J = q
subject to q > 0.
Example 1: buried prism.
Chargeability model
Data with 5% Gaussian noise
Pole-dipole; n=1,8; a=10m; N=316; (o
s
, o
x
, o
z
)=(.001, 1.0, 1.0)
Recovered chargeability
Predicted data
Example 2: prism with geologic noise.
Chargeability model
Data with 5% Gaussian noise
Pole-dipole; n=1,8; a=10m; N=316; (o
s
, o
x
, o
z
)=(.001, 1.0, 1.0)
Recovered chargeability
Predicted data
Example 3: UBC-GIF model.
Chargeability model Recovered chargeability
Data with 5% Gaussian noise
Predicted data
Pole-dipole; n=1,8; a=10m; N=316; (o
s
, o
x
, o
z
)=(.001, 1.0, 1.0)
Field Case History
Cluny deposit, Australia

10 lines of DCIP data acquired

Inversion carried out in 3D
Data set #1:

Apparent resistivity,
dipole - pole.
Cluny: 3D resistivity
Eight survey lines
Two survey configurations.
Easting (m) Easting (m)
mS/m
10500
11500 12500
13000
14000
15000
16000
400
450
500
Easting (m)
N
o
r
t
h
i
n
g

(
m
)

Surface topography:
Elevatio
n
Meters
10 lines surveyed
Easting (m) Easting (m)
mS/m
Data set #2:

Apparent resistivity,
pole - dipole.
Conductivity model from 3D inversion of DC
Apparent chargeability,
dipole - pole.
10500
11500 12500
13000
14000
15000
16000
400
450
500
Easting (m)
N
o
r
t
h
i
n
g

(
m
)

Surface topography:
Elevation
Meters
10 lines surveyed
3D Induced polarization (IP)
Click image to see the AVI movie
Chargeability model from 3D inversion of IP
Click image to see the AVI movie
Chargeability model from 3D inversion of IP
Volume rendered resistivity model
Volume rendered chargeability model
3D conductivity and chargeability models
Coming Up
Friday Nov 26: TBL DC resistivity and IP

Monday Nov 29: Quiz

Wednesday/Friday: Review