First measurements from a deep-tow transient electromagnetic sounding system

Abstract

An electromagnetic sounding system has been developed to map the shallow electrical conductivity structure of the deep sea floor. The instrument consists of a magnetic source and several colinear magnetic receivers forming an array which is towed along the seafloor. The source generates a time varying magnetic field; the shape of the resulting magnetic field waveform at the receivers depends on the electrical conductivity below the seafloor between the receivers and the source. The instrument can be towed systematically over a study area under acoustic transponder or GPS navigation to construct a map of the electrical conductivity. Towing speeds of greater than 1 m s−1 (2 knots) can be achieved without adversely effecting data quality. The instrument is sufficiently robust to survive continual contact with thinly sedimented, abrasive basalt. We present the first results from a deployment in August, 1990 near the Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge along an 8 km track to the west of the spreading center. Unforeseen problems with the instrument restricted the utility of the measurements for constructing detailed vertical conductivity profiles, but the measurements were adequate to determine an average conductivity in the upper 25 m, at more than 70 stations. The conductivity was found to vary from 0.1 to 0.4 S/m along the track.