Basement Depth Research Articles

Identification of Peridotite Bedrock using Resistivity Geoelectric Method in Lapao Pao Estuary Area, Kolaka District

Ultramafic rocks are the main source of nickel laterite deposits. One of the areas that has an ultramafic complex is located in Muara Lapao Pao Village, Kolaka Regency. The research was conducted in the mining area of PT Tri mitra Babarina Putra using the resistivity geoelectric method of the Wenner - Schlumberger configuration, In the area it is not yet known exactly how much peridotite bedrock is present in the subsurface. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a geophysical survey in identifying the occurrence of peridotite bedrock, and can determine the depth and thickness of peridotite bedrock in the research area. the occurrence of peridotite bedrock in the mining area of PT Tri Mitra Babarina Putra has a resistivity value between 3000 – 17984 Ohm-meters. Peridotite bedrock in the research area on all four tracks has a depth and thickness that is almost uniform. lines 1 and 2 and 4 are at a depth of 34.5 - 39.6 meters with a thickness of up to 5.1 meters. and line 3 peridotite bedrock is at a depth of 40 m to more. There are 3 layers in the study area, namely, soil/overburden layer with a resistivity value of 16.5 – 122 Ohm-meters, serpentinite rock layer with a resistivity value of 200 – 2438 Ohm-meters and peridotite bedrock layer with a resistivity value of 3000 – 17984 Ohm-meters.

Magnetometric and seismic investigation of the Nova Colinas impact structure, Parnaíba Basin, Brazil

Nova Colinas (NC) is a complex-type impact structure located in the northeast region of Brazil. It was formed in the volcano-sedimentary strata of the Parnaíba Basin, in the northern part of Western Gondwana. With an apparent diameter of approximately 6.5–7 km, its rim exhibits a distinctive magnetic signal, likely associated to basic volcanic rocks from the Mosquito Formation. These rocks present shock deformation, bracketing the maximum age of the impact event to 197 Ma. We use the magnetometric and seismic methods to establish the geophysical signature of NC and it is the structural framework in subsurface, as well as for characterizing the occurrence and extent of the volcanics. The magnetometric maps present two distinct magnetic domains in the region of NC: (i) the northern area is characterized by short-wavelength magnetic anomalies related to the basaltic flows of the Mosquito Formation; and (ii) the southern region, where sedimentary rocks from the Sambaiba Formation occur, which lacks significant magnetic anomalies, a typical pattern of siliciclastic sedimentary strata. The magnetic sources at the structure's rim reach an estimated depth of ∼250 m, and the position of the rim itself has been effectively established by the total horizontal derivative of the tilt derivative (THDR_TDR) technique. The regional magnetic anomaly suggests a deeper source at the center of the structure, possibly caused by strata with high magnetic susceptibility uplifted in the modification stage of crater formation. Magnetometric modeling using the magnetization vector inversion (MVI) method allowed detailed mapping of the volcanic rocks that form NC's rim. Additionally, analysis of the seismic data allowed the identification of two well-marked horizons, interpreted as diabase sills, located at depths of 600 m and 1200 m, respectively. Impact-related deformation represented by structures such as fractures, a central uplift, and reflector discontinuities associated with faulting, fracturing, and brecciation, were also unveiled by the seismic data, as well as the establishment of the depth of the crystalline basement at ca. 2200 m.

Ice-sheet burial and erosion inferred from cosmogenic nuclide bedrock depth profiles: Implications for the glaciation history of northeastern Fennoscandia

In this study, we evaluate the application of shallow (<2.5 m) cosmogenic depth profiles in bedrock to constrain long-term ice-burial and erosion histories. Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo inversion modelling on a series of synthetic scenarios, we demonstrate that cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al profiles provide more robust constraints on ice-burial duration and erosion histories than surface samples alone, particularly when erosion rates are low (<5–10 m Myr−1) and/or non-steady. We apply this method to new depth profiles of 10Be and 26Al measurements from two tors in the Parkajoki region in northeastern Sweden. Our results indicate erosion depths of ∼2–10 m and ice burial for ∼20–35% of the time since 500 ka. These estimates imply more erosion and less ice burial than previously inferred from the same tors. However, by re-assessing the extent of ice cover during the Weichselian from existing records, we show that some cosmogenic nuclide inheritance predates the penultimate glacial maximum (Late Saalian), implying limited glacial erosion in the Parkajoki region during the last glacial cycle.

Effects of changing adjacent building conditions on ground settlement profiles around deep excavation construction

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of deep excavation on ground settlement under various adjacent building conditions using the finite element method. It simulates diaphragm wall earth retention systems with plate elements and uses H-beam assemblies with preloaded anchors to represent temporary earth retention and ensure safety measures. Adjacent structures are also modeled with plate elements. Unlike traditional methods that often overestimate settlement by simulating only ground loads, this research includes the effects of neighboring basements and validates the model using field data. The study employs the HSS model, which provides a more accurate representation of soil deformation compared to the Mohr-Coulomb model. Findings indicate that ground settlement significantly increases when the adjacent building’s basement depth is about half the excavation depth, stabilizing as it approaches 1.6 times the excavation depth. Settlement is more pronounced for buildings closer to the diaphragm wall and decreases with distance. The relationships are described by normalized curves, and y = 1.9x−0.4 and 2.5/√x, representing the behavior of ground settlement in response to varying building conditions.

Basement Depth Map Estimation and Linear Features Detection Depending on Interpretation of Magnetic Data at Qarun Oil Field and Surrounding Areas, North Western Desert, Egypt

This investigation primarily targets a specific area situated in the northeastern Western Desert and northwest Beni-Suef, covering Wadi Al Rayan area, Gindi basin, Kattaniya inversion, and El-Fayum depression. It extends to the east of the river Nile. This study aims to Evaluate the depth of the basement complex in the area under investigation. The total aeromagnetic intensity data was reduced to the north pole (RTP) for clarity. 2D modeling of this RTP data was then used to evaluate the basement depth. The analysis of basement depth maps revealed significant variations in the subsurface structure of the study area, showing both elevated features (horsts) and depressed areas (grabens). The elevated basement (horsts) was found to be at a depth of approximately 813 meters, while the deepest depression (grabens) reached down to 7600 meters. Based on magnetic data combined with eight wells drilled into the basement complex, a basement lineament map of the area is delineated as a result of the investigation. This map shows a series of large alternating highs and valleys in ENE-WSW, NE-SW and E-W trending bands. Together with other minor trends, these major trends have shaped the basement surface into several tilted fault blocks, creating anticlinal and syncline zones of different depths and directions to form the Qattrani-El Gindi low trends. Whereas the high trend is located in El Fayum, El-Sagha, and Abu Rawash areas. The study helped to re-evaluate the subsurface structures affecting the Qarun oil field's hydrocarbon accumulation.

Novel method to determine bedrock from a single sensor based seismic reflection signal using Haar wavelet transform

The determination of bedrock depth is crucial across various earth sciences and related fields. Geophysical techniques, notably the continuous wavelet transform, are increasingly employed to map subsurface bedrock structures. This method allows the transformation of 1D time domain seismic reflection signals into a 2D image, providing time–frequency representations for feature extraction. Leveraging the advantages of wavelet theory, particularly the Haar wavelet known for its simplicity and compact support, this study utilizes continuous Haar wavelet local maxima lines to enhance bedrock analysis. Seismic reflection data is acquired using an extremely sensitive geophone as a receiver along with a high dynamic range data logger. The Common Midpoint (CMP) approach, coupled with optimized offset distances, is utilized to ensure robust data quality and signal strength. Simple sources, such as a sledgehammer, generate sound waves for data collection prior to borehole drilling, correlating acquired data with lithogeological information. This research emphasizes the significance of adjusting parameters like sampling frequency, choice of wavelet, and optimal offset distances. The methodology employed, involving a single geophone, a one-channel data recorder, and a basic sledgehammer as a sound source, offers an inexpensive, straightforward, and non-invasive approach. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of Haar wavelet local maxima lines in accurately determining bedrock depth, producing results closely aligned with both predicted and actual depths.

Effect of soil-building interaction on dynamic earth pressure on basement walls

This study investigates dynamic earth pressure on basement walls by considering soil-structure interaction, a factor that is often overlooked by conventional methods like Mononobe-Okabe, Seed and Whitman, and Wood. Superstructure, basement, and soil were numerically simulated in a single model to evaluate the inertial and kinematic effects of buildings on dynamic earth pressure on the basement walls. The numerical model was validated using data from a centrifuge test and an instrumented building. Then, a parametric study was performed, with the height, width, and basement depth of the building varied with six input motions. The results showed that the inertia of the building increased dynamic thrust. Furthermore, the dynamic thrust showed a similar trend with the displacement response spectrum curve of the ground surface acceleration as the building height increased, while the distribution shape transitioned from triangular to inverted triangular. Additionally, wider buildings had increased dynamic earth pressure, while deeper buildings exhibited smaller normalized dynamic thrust.

Fuzzy c-mean (FCM) integration of geophysical data from an iron-oxide copper gold (IOCG) deposit under thick cover

Geophysical methods depend on a range of physical and chemical mechanisms, and each method has different sensitivities and resolution of Earth parameters, and over different scale lengths. Additionally, such geophysical methods will also have their own statistical characteristics. Thus, it is a significant challenge to combine different methods through a single inversion framework. Rather than attempting to find an optimal and single model for different geophysical responses, an alternative approach is to use FCM clustering to identify clusters of parameters from two or more different geophysical data sets or models that have similar statistical properties. In this paper, we apply the FCM approach to integrate data and model sets for an array of 100 broadband magnetotelluric (MT) and 100 passive seismic receivers spaced 1 km apart on a 10 by 10 grid above the Vulcan IOCG prospect in the Olympic Cu–Au Province, southern Australia. The challenge for exploration of the Vulcan prospect is that it lies beneath 750 m of regolith sedimentary cover, no single geophysical method provides a unique characterization of the deposit geometry, and drilling is very expensive. Fuzzy c-mean cluster analyses are undertaken in 2D for gravity data and shear-wave velocity model data for basement depths beneath cover and in 3D for shear-wave velocity and electrical resistivity model data. Fuzzy c-mean clustering is shown to provide a simple and efficient method of integrating different geophysical measurements to produce a geological framework that can be verified with drilling information.

Testing the Efficacy of Indirect Methods on Characterization of Sedimentary Basins by Correlation of Direct Data and Geophysical Techniques

The information obtained from direct data (geological mapping and boreholes) and indirect techniques (reflection seismology, time-domain electromagnetics and magnetometry) is combined to analyse the northern limit of the Bailén basin (southeastern Spain). This Triassic–Neogene basin is confined by a graben-type structure, limited by two normal faults in the SW–NE direction (the Baños de la Encina-La Carolina fault and Guarromán fault). The movement of these faults was complex, with different pulses occurring over time. Therefore, the subsidence of the basin and the sedimentary filling of the graben were different, giving rise to lateral changes in the facies and thicknesses. This study focuses on the Baños de la Encina fault, chosen as the experimental site to analyse the effectiveness and accuracy of these geophysical techniques to reveal the basement structure and geometry. Seismic reflection allows to detect two faults that caused the subsidence of the eastern sector of the graben. The TDEM method made it possible to calculate the depth of the Palaeozoic basement, as well as reveal the presence of the two aforementioned faults. Magnetic total field data highlight variations in the basement depth that can be used to infer previously unknown fractures, in this case, in the NW–SE direction.

Earth's longest lava flows erupted from its largest igneous province: The submarine Ontong Java Plateau

We use high-precision analyses of fresh basalt glasses from the submarine, Cretaceous Ontong Java Plateau (OJP) recovered by the Ocean Drilling Programs (ODP) to test for long submarine lava flows. Major elements and Cl show that glasses from ODP Holes 1185B and 1186A, which are 200 km apart, are compositionally identical and must have erupted simultaneously from the same well-mixed magma chamber. Identical CO2 contents show they erupted at the same water depth, but 1185B is directly downslope from 1186A and has a corrected basement depth that is >700 m deeper. Remarkably, <2 °C cooling took place over 200 km, requiring a cooling rate <0.01 °C/km.Further evidence of long flows is the lack of vesicles in OJP's glasses, in contrast to mid-ocean ridge basalt glasses that almost always contain vesicles and are often oversaturated in dissolved CO2. We propose that OJP's lavas degassed to saturation levels of dissolved CO2 +H2O and lost all bubbles because they remained liquid for much longer periods during long distance flow. Dissolved CO2+H2O are used to estimate paleoeruption depths which are compared to current corrected basement depths. Using a fixed value of plateau subsidence (500 m) we reconstruct flow distances of 0 to 900 km for eight lava groups from six drill sites. Eruption depths in Hole 807 C are 3040 m for Kwaimbaita-type lavas but 1110 m for Singgalo-type lavas that directly overlie them suggesting that the Singgalo lavas erupted 900 km away (near Site 1183).Paleoeruption depths for Cretaceous glasses from the Jurassic East Mariana and Nauru Basins adjacent to OJP are shallower than most glasses recovered from OJP even though their reconstructed basement depths are 1500–3800 m deeper. It is very likely that the basins’ lavas were erupted on OJP and flowed up to 1600 km: longer than any lava flow known on Earth. Flow distances are shorter (≤1000 km) if a plateau subsidence of 1500 m is used in the calculations. Extremely high Cl in Nauru Basin glasses also supports eruption from OJP. Long distance flow with minimal cooling was facilitated on OJP by favorable slopes, lack of barriers, insulation of rapidly forming glass, and possibly by flow within lava tubes. Lava effusion rates were probably >100 m/sec and flow rapid: >1 m/sec.

An assessment of prospects of geothermal energy in India for energy sustanability

The search for indigenous, renewable, environment-friendly, and sustainable energy resources has increased globally during the past few decades. Geothermal energy is one such ubiquitous source of energy, having the potential to become an alternate energy resource with a reduced carbon footprint. In this study, eight crucial characteristic parameters, i.e., heat flow, thermal gradient, Curie point depth, lithology, basement depth, crustal thickness, and seismicity, were integrated into a multi-criteria decision model framework to identify areas that may have the potential for geothermal energy in India. The weights of various parameters estimated using AHP are in the order of heat flow (∼ 0.252), followed by the Curie point depth (∼ 0.195), thermal gradient (∼ 0.173), and crustal thickness. Our analysis indicates that the geothermal province in the Himalayas (including the NW and NE regions), SONATA lineaments, central parts, and some parts of the west coasts and Mahanadi graben may have better prospects of geothermal energy compared to other tectonic provinces. We find that ∼14.86%, and ∼21.98 % of the study region have extremely high to high geothermal potential. About ∼ 27.18 % of the region have medium geothermal prospects, whereas ∼ 11.78 % and 24.20 % of the region have very low to low potential for geothermal energy.

Ambient noise tomography of an iron-oxide copper–gold (IOCG) deposit under thick cover

As most outcropping and shallow mineral deposits have been found, new technology is imperative to finding the hidden critical mineral deposits required for the renewable energy transition. One such seismic technique, called ambient noise tomography (ANT), has shown promise in recent years as a low cost and low environmental impact passive method of three-dimensional (3D) imaging of shear-wave velocity structure of the Earth. Over the last twenty years the method has been well-established in academia to image crustal and regional scale geological features but has seldom been used at the mineral exploration deposit-scale. In this paper we show the application of seismic ANT at an IOCG deposit in South Australia under more than 750 m of sedimentary cover. A 100-site survey in a 10 by 10 grid with site spacing of 1 km, using 3-component nodal seismometers with a natural-frequency of 5 Hz, was conducted over a two-week period. Data were inverted to generate a 3D velocity model to a depth of 2 km. When compared to drillholes in the survey area, the tomographic model delineates cover sequence lithologies and the depth of crystalline basement. A velocity anomaly in the basement has characteristics of a potential IOCG deposit and is aligned with a gravity anomaly due to brecciated haematite. The results of the paper indicate that ANT is a useful tool for deep cover mineral exploration that can potentially expedite the discovery of new deposits.

Constrained simultaneous recovery of the depth to basement and lateral susceptibility variation

AbstractThe basin environment is a widely studied subject in both geology and geophysics for its economic significance in energy and mineral explorations. However, the estimation of the basement depth is often a challenging task given the complexity of the basement relief and lateral physical property change. Previous works simplify the problem by only inverting for the depth to the basement, and more recent studies have suggested the need to incorporate the variation of physical properties to improve basement structure imaging. In this study, we develop an inversion method with the associated workflow to simultaneously recover both the depth to a magnetic basement and a laterally varying magnetic susceptibility in the basement rock. To achieve this, we employ a set of constraints on the inverse problem. Particularly, both the recovered susceptibility and basement depth models are bounded below a possible maximum value, and the depth model is guided by a few depth points obtained from the resistivity models that are obtained from the one‐dimensional blocky inversions of magnetotelluric (MT) data. In addition, we apply the fuzzy C‐means (FCM) clustering to the susceptibility model during the inversion and use the inverted cluster centers to differentiate for different geological units in the basement. To show the effectiveness of our work, we compare the existing approaches and our method using two test inversions on one synthetic model resembling the basin–basement environment before demonstrating our method on a field data example with magnetic data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) over the Illinois Basin. Our results show improved recovery in both basement relief and susceptibility in the basement rock, and inversion with field data is able to identify three different susceptibility zones in basement rock below the Illinois Basin.

Gravity and magnetic geophysical surveys for exploration of low sulphidation epithermal mining project. Marifil Complex, Chon Aike Igneous Province, Argentina

The Marifil Complex constitutes the early stage of the Chon Aike Igneous Province along eastern North Patagonia, Argentina. Geological, geochronological, and geochemical data indicate that this magmatism consists of two characteristic Lower Jurassic volcanic events (V0 and V1). The epithermal activity takes place in V1 as Au-Ag veins (Pavón Pivetta et al., 2024). Particularly, base metal veins are covered and masked by the important explosive volcanic activity related to the V1 volcanic stage. This makes geophysical exploration a highly recommended tool for interpreting subsurface geological features.With this in mind, we have carried out the acquisition and processing of gravity and magnetic data that is supported with drill holes and geochronological data. A series of gravity and magnetic highs and lows were recognized, together with major lineaments. Using Euler deconvolution, the depth of the sources that generate the anomalies was calculated. The analysis of these results allowed us to construct two perpendicular gravity 2D models for the calculation of thicknesses and depth of the rhyolitic coulée. The gravity lows were associated with the major thickness of rhyolitic coulée, reaching 290 m in the drill holes, and interpreted geophysically to have a deeper root. The gravity highs were interpreted in two possible ways: a basement depth decrease and/or the absence of the rhyolitic coulée. The minimum depth estimated for the basement highs is approximately 20 m. These interpretations are consistent with outcrop, drill hole and geochronologic data, and magnetic maps. The RMSE between the calculated and the observed anomalies of the models are about 0.316 and 0.519 mGal. Due to the shape of the anomalies obtained from the gravimetric maps, the structures that generate the anomalies were considered as generated by three-dimensional bodies. For this purpose, we created a 3D model that provides interesting data about the possible location of these non-outcropping gravity lows that are located in the first 200 m depth.These results demonstrate that the use of the gravity and magnetic method constitutes a useful, fast, economical, robust, and reliable tool for the identification of these volcanic structures.

Estimation of site-specific amplification function from quarter-wavelength velocity profile and its application to obtain local amplification maps

Quarter-wavelength (QWL) velocity refers to the S-wave velocity at a depth equal to one-fourth of the wavelength of the seismic waves. It provides valuable information about the characteristics of the subsurface material properties affecting seismic waves propagation. The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) network, with over 200 stations across different lithologies, offers a rich dataset to implement correlation between site properties and site amplification factors. The current study is based on a subset of 113 selected SED seismic stations for which shear-wave velocity (Vs) profiles from geophysical measurements are available. We first meticulously analyzed and adjusted them to accurately determine the bedrock depth of the sites they are located on. Using empirical spectral modelling (ESM), we computed amplification functions from recorded earthquakes, referenced to the Swiss standard rock profile with a VS30 of 1100 m/s. Then we performed a bivariate analysis between empirical amplification functions, QWL velocity and QWL velocity contrast. The resulting coefficients are used to predict elastic amplification at frequencies between 0.5 and 10 Hz, with predictions generally being within 20–28% of observed values. We also developed an empirical equation relating VS30 (time-averaged Vs to 30 m depth) and κ0 (high-frequency attenuation parameter), to incorporate the anelastic term in the amplification. Applying our method to a 3D geophysical model of Visp, a high seismic hazard zone in Switzerland, we found it effective in predicting 1D site amplification, but noted caution in areas susceptible of 2D/3D resonance effects. A calibration function based on observed vs. predicted amplification and the frequencies of estimation normalized by the expected 2D resonance frequency improved predictions for Visp. Our study demonstrates that QWL velocity profiles offer a straightforward approach for characterizing site effects, which can be used in seismic hazard assessment to evaluate the potential amplification of ground motions.

Subsurface velocity structures at the Egyptian seismological network stations retrieved by diffuse field assumption for Earthquakes

Retrieving detailed subsurface velocity structures down to the seismic bedrock at any given site is a crucial step to delineate the site amplification factors accurately and precisely. The present research work contributes first new estimations for detailed velocity structures down to the seismic bedrock beneath the Egyptian National Seismological Network (ENSN) stations, which are distributed in Egypt nationwide. We used the diffuse field assumption for earthquakes to reproduce the horizontal to vertical spectral ratios (EHVSR) at these stations. We accepted waveform database of 424 earthquakes recorded at 75 ENSN stations. After achieving the inverted subsurface velocity structures, we establish site-specific frequency-depth regression and map the VS30 and seismic bedrock depth beneath Egypt. Because of comparability regarding the seismic site class of B and C, the regression coefficients of the newly established frequency-depth regression exhibit similarity with those achieved from previous regressions in Japan. Furthermore, we observe modest consistency between the seismic bedrock depths and the various geologic features, particularly agreement between basin-shape seismic bedrock depths and the existence of Cretaceous and Jurassic extensional basins. Our findings suggest that the Precambrian basement rocks can be interpreted as the seismic bedrock in Egypt. One of the most significant obstacles in the present work is the low-dense distribution of ENSN stations nationwide. However, the achieved results raise new questions and challenges regarding precise and accurate future estimations for site amplification calculations at different localities in Egypt, particularly for urban planning by engineers.

Estimating Bedrock Depth Based on Total Magnetic Field Anomaly Data in Medan City Area in the Northern Sumatra Basin Using the Peter Half Slope Method

Estimating Bedrock Depth Based on Total Magnetic Field Anomaly Data in Medan City Area in the Northern Sumatra Basin Using the Peter Half Slope Method

Using archived magnetotelluric data for geologic interpretation in the Transdanubian Region

We provide a key magnetotelluric section, composed of archived magnetotelluric data along a NW-SE profile in Transdanubia, Hungary. For the interpretation of the key section, observations from raw magnetotelluric data and inversion results were used. In addition, other geophysical-geological information was also considered to confirm the conclusions based on the electrical resistivity sections. All this information was combined to identify the main structural lines and geologic units along the profile. Main structural lines observed on the resistivity sections are the Alpokalja line, Rába line, Balaton line, Kapos line, and Mecsekalja line. Geologic units that can be delineated due to their resistivity contrast include the Lower and Upper Austroalpine Units, the Transdanubian Range Unit, the Mid-Hungarian Megaunit, the Tisza Megaunit and sedimentary rocks filling the sub-basins of the Miocene Pannonian back-arc basin. The inversion results of the transverse magnetic (TM) polarization mode and the phase-depth sections of the raw data were found to be the most suitable for detecting the morphology and identifying the depth of the Pre-Cenozoic basement along the profile.

Early‐Precambrian crystalline basement beneath the Upper Yangtze Block from regional aeromagnetic anomalies: Depth from extreme points approach

AbstractAlthough the early‐Precambrian crystalline basement is now only sporadically exposed in the northern and south‐western parts of the Yangtze Block, it is supposed to have a widespread distribution beneath its Neoproterozoic and Phanerozoic covers. Here we present results of regional aeromagnetic data processing in consideration of remanent magnetization to investigate the spatial distribution of the early‐Precambrian basement buried deep under the Upper Yangtze Block and surrounding areas. The direct analytic signal amplitude of the aeromagnetic anomalies, which is less affected by the magnetization direction, reveals a broader basement below the Sichuan Basin, extending far north to the Micang Mountain. A comparison between the direct analytic signal amplitude with the reduction to the pole aeromagnetic anomalies indicates that possible remanent magnetization exists beneath the Micang Mountain near the boundary between the Qinling Orogen and Sichuan Basin. The automatic depth from extreme points transform is then performed on the direct analytic signal amplitude to estimate the depth to the early‐Precambrian crystalline basement. A synthetic model of a magnetic interface with remanent magnetization and random noise shows that the depth from extreme points method is able to resolve variable basement depths. Application of the depth from extreme points method to the direct analytic signal amplitude of the Upper Yangtze Block presents meaningful results about the early‐Precambrian crystalline basement undulations. It is shallow and uplifted beneath the Sichuan Basin, extending north to the Qinling‐Dabie Orogen, probably corresponding to the ancient Chuanzhong palaeo‐uplift. Although it gradually deepens to the east, the deepest basement is buried under the Jiangnan Orogen, which is likely associated with the collision‐induced crustal thickening between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks during the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent. Large gas fields around the Sichuan Basin are found at the slopes or depressions between basement uplifts, indicating that the deep marine carbonate rocks in the south and east of Sichuan Basin, particularly those located at the slopes or depressions between ancient basement uplifts, are favourable targets for further petroleum exploration.

A spatial machine learning model developed from noisy data requires multiscale performance evaluation: Predicting depth to bedrock in the Delaware river basin, USA

Spatial machine learning models can be developed from observations with substantial unexplainable variability, sometimes called ‘noise’. Traditional point-scale metrics (e.g., R2) alone can be misleading when evaluating these models. We present a multi-scale performance evaluation (MPE) using two additional scales (distributional and geostatistical). We apply the MPE framework to predictions of depth to bedrock (DTB) in the Delaware River Basin. Geostatistical analysis shows that approximately one third of the DTB variance is at spatial scale smaller than 2 km. Hence, we interpret our point-scale R2 of 0.3 (testing data) to be sufficient for regional-scale modelling. Bias-correction methods improve performance at two of the three MPE scales: point-scale change is negligible, while distributional and geostatistical performance improves. In contrast, bias correction applied to a global DTB model does not improve MPE performance. This work encourages scale-appropriate performance evaluations to enable effective model intercomparison.