GLE 594: An introduction to

applied geophysics

Magnetic Methods

Fall 2004
 Magnetic Methods:
Concepts and rock properties

Readings from textbook

Today : pages 65-75
Next Lecture: pages 75-86
 History of the magnetic method
• Oldest Branch of Geophysics
– Chinese first to use north-seeking properties of lodestone
– 1600 William Gilbert publishes De Magnete: ‘…the whole
earth is a magnet’
• Prospecting
– Began in Sweden for iron ore in 1640’s
– Thalen and Tiberg (1870) measured Earth’s magnetic fields
– A. Schmidt (1915) developed a balance magnetometer
– During WWII instruments became smaller and easier to use
• Now, magnetic tools are one of the most cheaply and
easiest to acquire geophysical data sets
 Applications
• Shallow (Engineering and Environmental):
contaminants, toxic waste, pipes, cables and metal
inclusions
• Military: location of UXO’s
• Archeology: buried walls, old fire pits
• Mining: iron sulfide deposits
• Oil and groundwater: depth to magnetic basement in
basins, detection of faults
• Geotectonics: major player in discovery of, and current
analysis of tectonic processes.
 Definitions: Magnetic potential
• Remember that the ‘potential’ is defined as the
‘potential to do work’.
µo p p ⎡ Wb ⎤
• Magnetic Potential: W= =c ⎢ ⎥
4π r r ⎣ m ⎦
where µo=4π 10-7 [H/m] is the magnetic permeability of free space
and p [A/m] is magnetic pole strength

m
• Gravitational Potential: U = G
µo/4π is equivalent to G r
p is equivalent to m
 Definitions: Magnetic field
or flux density
• Definition: Vector quantity defining the magnetic
flux/unit area; i.e., the density of the magnetic field lines.
Thus often called Flux Density
• Mathematical Definitions:
µo p p ⎡ Wb ⎤
B = −∇W = r̂ = c r̂ = Tesla
– Air: 4π r 2 r 2 ⎢⎣ m 2 ⎥⎦
µ p
– Magnetic materials: B = −∇W = r̂
4π r 2

µµ p p
= r 0 2 r̂ = µ r c 2 r̂
4π r r
ƒ µ is the magnetic permeability of the material
ƒ µr is the relative magnetic permeability of the material
ƒ ř is a unit vector pointing from the magnetic pole to the
measurement point.
 Definitions: Magnetic field
strength or intensity
• Biot-Savart’s law definition:
for a loop of wire of radius r that is
carrying a current I, H at center is H n
given as: I
H=nI/2r [A/m]

where n is a unit vector normal to the

plane of the loop.
• The magnetic field strength H is
related to the magnetic field B as:

B = µH = µο µr H[A/m]
Dipole nature of magnetic materials
Bar Magnet
N+
• Although, no magnetic monopoles
exist in nature, they are useful for
theory: magnetic monopoles of same
sign repel, opposite
S-
signs attract.
• Dipole created by two poles of
opposite sign and separated by
distance l.
• If you are close to one of the poles,
the field can be though of as
originating from a monopole.
• Magnetic body can be though
of as composed of a bunch of
little magnets, or dipoles.
Magnetization or magnetic polarization
• A measure of the pole strength/unit area along one
of the ‘ends’ of magnetic material:
J=(p/A) n [A/m]

Magnetic moment
• Strength of a magnetic field ‘generator’
M=J V = p l [A m2]
For a loop of current: M=(Iπr2) n
 Units
Quantity Symbol SI Units cgs units
Magnetic Pole Strength p Am -
Permeability µo, µ H/m -
Relative permeability µr unitless unitless
Magnetic Flux Density B Wb/m2=Tesla Gauss/gamma
Magnetic Intensity H A/m oersteds
Magnetic Polarization J A/m
Magnetic Moment M A/m2
 Basic comparison of magnetic and
gravitational potential
• A gravity perturbation can always be thought of as
being caused by one or a series of ‘monopoles’.
That is field lines either point toward or away from
the perturbation.

• A magnetic perturbation, or magnetic field in

general, is always produced by a dipole. Thus
direction of field depends on relative position to
one or the other ends of the magnetized body.
Earth dipolar field
Gravitational Potential:
m
U ( P) = G
r

Magnetic Potential and Fields:

[Wb/m]

[T=Wb/m2]

[T=Wb/m2]
Total force, inclination and declination
Earth’s ‘Dipole’ not aligned perfectly with rotational axis.
 Earth dipolar field
Dipole that best fits earth’s field (origin outer core):
─ Moment of 8·1022 [A m2]
─ Axis inclined 11.5o to the geographical pole.

60,000 nT

25,000 nT

Not a perfect dipole.