3D Inverse Modeling of Magnetic Survey Data and Comparison with Drilling Data in the Negin Exploration Area, Yazd Province

Articles in Press

Authors

1 Faculty of Mining, Petroleum and Geophysics, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran.

2 Kavakaray Novin Madan Consulting Engineering

10.22044/jrag.2026.17459.1383

Abstract

The depletion of near-surface mineral resources and the growing demand for raw materials, particularly strategic metals, have intensified the need to explore concealed mineral deposits in sediment-covered regions. In this study, the geometry, dimensions, and depth extent of buried ore bodies in the Negin exploration area, Yazd Province, central Iran, are investigated using ground magnetic data as an effective potential-field method for detecting ferromagnetic sources. After data acquisition, standard preprocessing procedures, including diurnal correction and removal of the main geomagnetic field using the IGRF, were applied. Residual magnetic anomaly maps were generated and further processed in the Oasis Montaj environment using RTP, analytic signal, vertical and horizontal derivatives, and upward continuation to enhance anomaly resolution and mitigate dipolar effects. The processed results reveal well-defined magnetic anomalies with a consistent structural trend in the central part of the study area. To obtain a quantitative model of subsurface magnetic susceptibility and reduce the inherent non-uniqueness of potential-field interpretation, 3D magnetic inversion was performed using the Li and Oldenburg algorithm implemented in MAG3D software. The results delineate a semi-ellipsoidal intrusive body with high magnetic susceptibility beneath the central zone. Analysis of the 3D model indicates that the top of the anomalous body is located at an approximate depth of 60 m. The close agreement between inversion results and geological evidence, including exploratory drilling data, demonstrates the reliability of constrained three-dimensional magnetic inversion for subsurface characterization and exploration risk reduction in sediment-covered terrains.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 June 2026

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