Aeromagnetic Data Investigation of Al-Shamiyya Area, North East of Makkah Quadrangle, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The study area lies within the Arabian Shield which includes Al-Shamiyya area. The aeromagnetic data are utilized to investigate the magnetic features of the study area. Several techniques have been used in order to enhance the interpretation of the aeromagnetic data where each technique implements a task towards the purpose of the study. The aeromagnetic data have been subjected to 3D Euler deconvolution, magnitude magnetic transforms, edge enhancement using standard deviation, and pseudo gravity techniques. 3D Euler deconvolution is used to estimate the depth to magnetic sources and the structural indices which estimates the structural types that may exist within the study area. The results of this technique show that the depth of causative targets varies between 1.37 and 5.29 km with average depth of about 3.6 km. Furthermore, the estimated structural indices varies between 0.08 and 0.27 with average of about 0.16, indicating that the common structure types is a contact (fault) model. Magnitude magnetic transforms is used it demonstrate the subsurface features where it is compared with the conventional reduce to pole technique to extra the zones if any. Also, this technique used to demonstrate the deepest and shallowest causative targets within the study area using E and L transforms. Furthermore, total horizontal and vertical derivatives have been implemented using the magnitude magnetic transform showing the major structural contacts and the enhancing shallow magnetic sources, respectively. Edge enhancement technique is mainly used to demonstrate the possible contacts within the study area. Several windows have been chosen in order to enhance the detail and the fine edges where larger windows are used to demonstrate the possible major contacts within the study area. The pseudogravity technique is used to constraint and better depict the nature of subsurface causative targets which are essentially dominated by structures. This technique shows that the area mainly consists of three domains varies from low to high.