Electrical conductivity anomalies in the earth

Abstract

Anomalies of short-period geomagnetic variations have been found in various regions over the world. It is known that such anomalies arise from electromagnetic induction within an electrical conductivity anomaly or from local perturbation of induced electric currents by a conductivity anomaly. In order to investigate a regional electric state in the Earth, conductivity anomaly (CA) studies based on anomalous behaviors of geomagnetic variations have been extensively undertaken, as well as studies based on magnetotelluries in which induced currents are directly used. Some of the geomagnetic variation anomalies, however, turned out to be caused by surface conductors, such as sea water and sediments. Anomalies of this sort have been intensively studied and classified into coast, island, peninsula, and strait effects in the case of sea effects. Three-dimensional conduction or channelling of induced electric currents is sometimes observed in the cases of sediments and some crustal conductivity anomalies. However, anomalies of such surface origins often provide some information of the underground conductivity structure. Electrical conductivity anomalies can be classified into two types: anomalies originating in the crust and in the upper mantle. Many of crustal anomalies are well correlated with metamorphic belts, fracture zones, and hydrated layers, and magnetic and gravity anomalies are also often found over the conductivity anomalies. Most of mantle anomalies have been interpreted mainly in terms of high temperature and partial melting, since conductivity anomalies coincide well with anomalies in heat flow and seismic wave velocities.