On the drape and level flying aeromagnetic survey modes with terrain effects, and data reduction between arbitrary surfaces

Aeromagnetic surveys conducted at Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in eastern Turkey, reveal that level flying mode yields more accurate magnetic anomaly interpretations compared to draped flying mode. The study demonstrates that terrain effects and the distance between observation surfaces and subsurface sources significantly influence magnetic anomaly shapes and amplitudes. Using synthetic models and real data from the rugged stratovolcano, researchers found that reducing draped data to a horizontal plane or vice versa improves interpretation. A Fourier wavenumber domain method is proposed for efficient data reduction, offering a practical solution for enhancing resolution in aeromagnetic surveys over complex terrains.

EKİNCİ, Y. L. (2021). On the drape and level flying aeromagnetic survey modes with terrain effects, and data reduction between arbitrary surfaces. Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences, 30(3), 409–424. https://doi.org/10.3906/yer-2007-18