Focusing inversion of gravity data with an error function stabilizer

Abstract

In mineral exploration, inversion of gravity data is employed to disclose subsurface density distributions of anomalous bodies. The three-dimensional inversion of gravity data is solved by the Tikhonov regularization technique. The stabilizer in the Tikhonov parametric function will help to recover a unique solution. There are stabilizers to provide smooth and focused solutions. The focusing inversion methods provide models which describe sharp geologic interfaces, appropriately. The stabilizers that are used for focusing inversion usually demand a focusing parameter that should be picked accurately. The selection of the appropriate focusing parameter convolutes the inverse problem. In this paper, a new stabilizer is proposed based on an error function that is independent of the focusing parameter. The physical bound also has an important role in focusing inversion. The novel approach has been tested by two synthetic examples and gravity data collected over Health Steele massive sulfide deposit. The inversion results demonstrate the ability and efficiency of the new stabilizer in the focusing inversion method to recover consistent geologic models with sharp boundaries.