Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Research Articles

Quantitative Assessment of In-situ Salt Karstification Using Shear Wave Velocity, Dead Sea

The Dead Sea (DS) coastal areas have been dramatically affected by sinkhole formation since around 1990. Such sinkholes along both Israeli and Jordanian shores are linked to karst cavities that form through slow salt dissolution. A quantitative estimate of such in-situ salt karstification would be an important indicator of sinkhole hazard. One of the indications of salt karstification is its increased hydraulic conductivity, caused by the development of dissolution cavities forming conducting channels within the salt layer. We measured the hydraulic conductivity (K) versus shear-wave velocity (Vs) of DS salt in situ for estimating the actual salt karstification in areas of sinkhole development. These parameters were measured with the Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) and Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) methods, respectively. Understanding of the field relationships was augmented by similar inter-relations obtained in the laboratory on samples of DS salt. In-situ salt velocities Vs vary from 750m/s to over 1650m/s, while hydraulic conductivity (K) in the same zones varies between about 10−4m/s to slightly over 10−8m/s. Both field and laboratory K and Vs values fit the exponential function ln(K)=−0.0045∗Vs−5.416 with a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.88. A classification based on Vs and K was generated for salt conditions and the corresponding degrees of sinkhole hazard, which was verified in the Mineral Beach sinkhole development area. The mapping of sinkhole sites shows that they form within highly conductive zones with K≥5.5∗10−5. It is suggested that this methodology, with some modification, can be used for evaluating the conductive properties of karstified rock and associated sinkhole hazards.

Structural and Functional Analysis of Novel Human Cytochrome c Targets in Apoptosis

Since the first description of apoptosis four decades ago, great efforts have been made to elucidate, both in vivo and in vitro, the molecular mechanisms involved in its regulation. Although the role of cytochrome c during apoptosis is well established, relatively little is known about its participation in signaling pathways in vivo due to its essential role during respiration. To obtain a better understanding of the role of cytochrome c in the onset of apoptosis, we used a proteomic approach based on affinity chromatography with cytochrome c as bait in this study. In this approach, novel cytochrome c interaction partners were identified whose in vivo interaction and cellular localization were facilitated through bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Modeling of the complex interface between cytochrome c and its counterparts indicated the involvement of the surface surrounding the heme crevice of cytochrome c, in agreement with the vast majority of known redox adducts of cytochrome c. However, in contrast to the high turnover rate of the mitochondrial cytochrome c redox adducts, those occurring under apoptosis led to the formation of stable nucleo-cytoplasmic ensembles, as inferred mainly from surface plasmon resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, which permitted us to corroborate the formation of such complexes in vitro. The results obtained suggest that human cytochrome c interacts with pro-survival, anti-apoptotic proteins following its release into the cytoplasm. Thus, cytochrome c may interfere with cell survival pathways and unlock apoptosis in order to prevent the spatial and temporal coexistence of antagonist signals.

Noninvasive Estimation of Water Retention Parameters by Observing the Capillary Fringe with Magnetic Resonance Sounding

The magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) method is usually applied for delineation and characterization of aquifer system stratification. Its unique property, distinct from other hydrogeophysical methods, is the direct sensitivity to water content in the subsurface. The inversion of MRS data yields the subsurface water content distribution without need of a petrophysical model. Recent developments in instrumentation, i.e., decreased instrumental dead times and advanced noise cancellation strategies, enable the use of this method for investigating the vadose zone. A possible way to interpret MRS measurements with focus on water retention (WR) parameters is an inversion approach that directly provides WR parameters by modeling the capillary fringe (CF inversion). We have developed this kind of inversion further to account for different WR models and present a sensitivity study based on both synthetic and real field data. To assess the general applicability of the CF inversion, we analyzed the resolution properties for different measurement layouts and the parameter uncertainties for different realistic scenarios. Under moderate noise conditions and if the water table position is known, all WR parameters except the residual water content can be reliably estimated. The relative accuracy of the estimated pore distribution index estimation is better for larger CF. Small measurement loops of 5‐m diameter achieve the best resolution for shallow investigation depths of <10 m.

The use of magnetic resonance sounding for quantifying specific yield and transmissivity in hard rock aquifers: The example of Benin

Abstract Hundreds of thousands of boreholes have been drilled in hard rocks of Africa and Asia for supplying human communities with drinking water. Despite the common use of geophysics for improving the siting of boreholes, a significant number of drilled holes does not deliver enough water to be equipped (e.g. 40% on average in Benin). As compared to other non-invasive geophysical methods, magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) is selective to groundwater. However, this distinctive feature has not been fully used in previous published studies for quantifying the drainable groundwater in hard rocks (i.e. the specific yield) and the short-term productivity of aquifer (i.e. the transmissivity). We present in this paper a comparison of MRS results (i.e. the water content and pore-size parameter) with both specific yield and transmissivity calculated from long duration pumping tests. We conducted our experiments in six sites located in different hard rock groups in Benin, thus providing a unique data set to assess the usefulness of MRS in hard rock aquifers. We found that the MRS water content is about twice the specific yield. We also found that the MRS pore-size parameter is well correlated with the specific yield. Thus we proposed two linear equations for calculating the specific yield from the MRS water content (with an uncertainty of about 10%) and from the pore-size parameter (with an uncertainty of about 20%). The later has the advantage of defining a so-named MRS cutoff time value for indentifying non-drainable MRS water content and thus low groundwater reserve. We eventually propose a nonlinear equation for calculating the specific yield using jointly the MRS water content and the pore-size parameters, but this approach has to be confirmed with further investigations. This study also confirmed that aquifer transmissivity can be estimated from MRS results with an uncertainty of about 70%. We conclude that MRS can be usefully applied for estimating aquifer specific yield and transmissivity in weathered hard rock aquifers. Our result will contribute to the improvement of well siting and groundwater management in hard rocks.

Monte Carlo inversion of 3-D magnetic resonance measurements

The surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) method is a geophysical method designed for non-invasive groundwater investigations. Inversion of experimental data provides the spatial distribution of the water content in the subsurface. However, SNMR inversion is ill-posed and admits many solutions because of the imaging equation properties that are compounded by experimental error. SNMR data sets are conveniently presented as complex numbers, thus possessing phase and amplitude components. Subsurface electroconductive formations and fluctuations of the Earth's magnetic field cause non-negligible phase shifts. Consequently, the forward modelling of the SNMR signal generated by 3-D water saturated formations is achieved in the complex domain. Nevertheless, in many cases, phase measurements are less reliable than amplitude measurements and water content rendering cannot be carried out using the complex SNMR signal. This problem is resolved by performing inversion using complex forward modelling whose resulting signal amplitude is used for comparison with the data. Along with water content boundaries ranging from 0 to 1, this property turns the linear initial value inversion problem into a non-linear one. In such a situation, the comprehensive analysis of inversion uncertainties is achieved by performing a solution space exploration based on a Monte Carlo approach. An adapted Metropolis-Hastings algorithm has been used on SNMR 3-D data sets to perform such an exploration. Computing time depends on the problem dimensions. With a standard laptop computer about 10 hr were necessary for the inversion of our field data set. The resulting model collection is used to calculate the probability density functions of the water content. From there, it is possible to estimate the uncertainty of the water content imagery. Using both synthetic and experimental data, we show that our routine provides robust estimates of the spatial distribution of the water content for the SNMR 3-D initial amplitude inversion.

Joint inversion of aquifer test, MRS, and TEM data

This paper presents two methods for joint inversion of aquifer test data, magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) data, and transient electromagnetic data acquired from a multilayer hydrogeological system. The link between the MRS model and the groundwater model is created by tying hydraulic conductivities (k) derived from MRS parameters to those of the groundwater model. Method 1 applies k estimated from MRS directly in the groundwater model, during the inversion. Method 2 on the other hand uses the petrophysical relation as a regularization constraint that only enforces k estimated for the groundwater model to be equal to MRS derived k to the extent that data can be fitted. Both methodologies can jointly calibrate parameters pertaining to the individual models as well as a parameter pertaining to the petrophysical relation. This allows the petrophysical relation to adapt to the local conditions during the inversion. The methods are tested using a synthetic data set as well as a field data set. In combination, the two case studies show that the joint methods can constrain the inversion to achieve estimates of k, decay times, and water contents for a leaky confined aquifer system. We show that the geophysical data can assist in determining otherwise insensitive k, and vice versa. Based on our experiments and results, we mainly advocate the future application of method 2 since this seems to produce the most reliable results, has a faster inversion runtime, and is applicable also for linking k of 3-D groundwater flow models to multiple MRS soundings.

The impact of prepolarization on Earth’s field laboratory nuclear-magnetic-resonance relaxation experiments

To advance our understanding, and the application of surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we need to conduct Earth’s magnetic field (EF) laboratory NMR measurements of the acquired relaxation times. In EF laboratory NMR, prepolarization is used to achieve detectable signal levels. This involves exposing the sample to a static magnetic field to increase the equilibrium magnetization associated with the nuclear spins of protons in the pore fluid. We found that prepolarization can also have a significant impact on the commonly measured relaxation time [Formula: see text]. We studied this impact on [Formula: see text] using a set of sand samples taken from boreholes in the U.S. High Plains aquifer. Using rock-magnetic measurements, we found that prepolarization at 25 mT increased the magnetization of the solid phase of the samples up to a factor of 10. For these samples, we observed [Formula: see text] that decreased from 30 to 3 ms with increasing magnetization. Surface NMR data collected at the borehole site indicate significantly longer [Formula: see text] (50–80 ms) at the depths from which the samples were taken. We attributed our observations to prepolarization inducing remanent magnetization in the solid phase of the sample, which results in elevated internal magnetic fields that reduce [Formula: see text]. In contrast, we found good agreement between EF laboratory and surface NMR measurements of the relaxation time [Formula: see text]. Because [Formula: see text] is unaffected by internal fields, this supports our conclusion that prepolarization is significantly impacting the laboratory measurement of [Formula: see text]. To mitigate these undesired effects, we have developed the inclusion of a demagnetization pulse after prepolarization in EF laboratory experiments. By applying the demagnetization pulse along the same direction of the static field only the remanent magnetization of the solid phase of the sample would be removed, whereas the prepolarized state of the nuclear spin magnetization of the liquid phase would be retained.

Advanced aquifer characterization for optimization of managed aquifer recharge

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) will play an increasingly important role in solving water scarcity. The performance of MAR systems depends primarily upon local hydrogeology. Greatest opportunities for improvement in the implementation of MAR systems lie in the targeted application of conventional and advanced technologies to improve aquifer characterization. Surface geophysics (e.g., VES, TDEM, and seismic reflection and refraction) generally provide low resolution, but areal extensive data on subsurface hydrogeology. Times series of relative microgravity measurements have been used to map changes in both vadose and phreatic zone storage and to augment monitoring well systems. Surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has the potential to provide quantitative data on water-filled porosity and pore size distribution and, in turn, an estimate of hydraulic conductivity. Standard borehole geophysical logging techniques can provide coarse-scale data on aquifer heterogeneity. Advanced borehole logging techniques, such as NMR, microresistivity imaging, and gamma ray spectroscopy, have been used in MAR projects in the USA and UAE to provide fine-scale petrophysical data (e.g., porosity, porosity-types, and pore-size distribution). Groundwater modeling is used in MAR investigations to evaluate system feasibility and to optimize system design and operation. Opportunities to improve groundwater modeling exist through the application of advanced reservoir simulation platforms that allow for the processing and integration of available lithological, geophysical, and aquifer testing data and their subsequent incorporation into groundwater flow models. Advanced groundwater modeling programs are available that allow for the simulation of complex aquifers such as dual-porosity systems and variable density.

Advancement and validation of surface nuclear magnetic resonance spin-echo measurements of T2

Obtaining reliable estimates of hydrogeologic properties from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements requires the ability to measure NMR relaxation parameters that are most sensitive to pore-scale geometry. Conventional surface NMR measurements of the free induction decay yield accurate estimates of the relaxation time parameter [Formula: see text], but it has been shown that this parameter can exhibit limited sensitivity to pore size and permeability. We evaluated an improved surface-NMR scheme that uses spin-echo signals to estimate the more robust and readily usable relaxation parameter [Formula: see text]. The acquisition methodology builds upon previous spin-echo schemes and incorporates robust phase-cycling procedures, which remove responses that can potentially interfere with the echo signals. A new two-stage linear inversion was used to derive quantitative estimates of [Formula: see text] with depth. The method was evaluated in two field experiments at sites in the central and western United States. At one site, NMR logging measurements in a nearby borehole provided the first opportunity to compare [Formula: see text]-values estimated by surface NMR to [Formula: see text]-values determined from the logging data. The surface and logging results showed very close agreement at depths where [Formula: see text] is long, but echoes cannot be detected from depths where [Formula: see text] is shorter than the minimum echo time. As anticipated, we found that [Formula: see text] derived from spin echoes was generally much longer than [Formula: see text], derived from the free induction decay. We explain the observed differences by considering the magnitude of inhomogeneity in the background magnetic field. We note that [Formula: see text] exhibited greater variation and sensitivity to pore size than [Formula: see text] in coarse-grained materials, while [Formula: see text] provided greater sensitivity in fine-grained materials where no echo signal was detected. Given these complementary advantages of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] measurement, we advocate adoption of a framework combining spin-echo and free induction decay data to improve characterization of groundwater aquifers.

Monitoring water accumulation in a glacier using magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract. Tête Rousse is a small polythermal glacier located in the Mont Blanc area (French Alps) at an altitude of 3100 to 3300 m. In 1892, an outburst flood from this glacier released about 200 000 m3 of water mixed with ice, causing much damage. A new accumulation of melt water in the glacier was not excluded. The uncertainty related to such glacier conditions initiated an extensive geophysical study for evaluating the hazard. Using three-dimensional surface nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (3-D-SNMR), we showed that the temperate part of the Tête Rousse glacier contains two separate water-filled caverns (central and upper caverns). In 2009, the central cavern contained about 55 000 m3 of water. Since 2010, the cavern is drained every year. We monitored the changes caused by this pumping in the water distribution within the glacier body. Twice a year, we carried out magnetic resonance imaging of the entire glacier and estimated the volume of water accumulated in the central cavern. Our results show changes in cavern geometry and recharge rate: in two years, the central cavern lost about 73% of its initial volume, but 65% was lost in one year after the first pumping. We also observed that, after being drained, the cavern was recharged at an average rate of 20 to 25 m3 d−1 during the winter months and 120 to 180 m3 d−1 in summer. These observations illustrate how ice, water and air may refill englacial volume being emptied by artificial draining. Comparison of the 3-D-SNMR results with those obtained by drilling and pumping showed a very good correspondence, confirming the high reliability of 3-D-SNMR imaging.

Development of Control System for MRS Groundwater Exploration Instrument Based on Ethernet

The control system for Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) groundwater exploration instrument was developed on the platform of LabVIEW. This system consists of transmission and reception sections. The former transmits current, controls power and acquires current and the latter controls amplifier, acquires MRS signals. In order to improve efficiency of data transmission, Ethernet based on TCP/IP is used in the system. Furthermore, the system has additional functions of pulse moment setting, equipment detection, data processing into pictures and data storage. Through outdoor experiments, it is found that the average error is less than 2%. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and correctness of the system.

Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Transient Electromagnetics to characterise water distribution beneath an ice covered volcanic crater: the case of Sherman Crater Mt. Baker, Washington

ABSTRACTSurface and laboratory Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements combined with transient electromagnetic (TEM) data are powerful tools for subsurface water detection. Surface NMR (sNMR) and TEM soundings, laboratory NMR, complex resistivity, and X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis were all conducted to characterise the distribution of water within Sherman Crater on Mt. Baker, WA. Clay rich rocks, particularly if water saturated, can weaken volcanoes, thereby increasing the potential for catastrophic sector collapses that can lead to far‐travelled, destructive debris flows. Detecting the presence and volume of shallow groundwater is critical for evaluating these landslide hazards. The TEM data identified a low resistivity layer (<10 ohm‐m), under 60 m of glacial ice related to water saturated clays. The TEM struggles to resolve the presence or absence of a plausible thin layer of bulk liquid water on top of the clay. The sNMR measurements did not produce any observable signal, indicating the lack of substantial accumulated bulk water below the ice. Laboratory analysis on a sample from the crater wall that likely represented the clays beneath the ice confirmed that the controlling factor for the lack of sNMR signal was the fine‐grained nature of the media. The laboratory measurements further indicated that small pores in clays detected by the XRD contain as much as 50% water, establishing an upper bound on the water content in the clay layer. Forward modelling of geologic scenarios revealed that bulk water layers as thin as ½ m between the ice and clay layer would have been detectable using sNMR. The instrumentation conditions which would allow for sNMR detection of the clay layer are investigated. Using current instrumentation the combined analysis of the TEM and sNMR data allow for valuable characterisation of the groundwater system in the crater. The sNMR is able to reduce the uncertainty of the TEM in regards to the presence of a bulk water layer, a valuable piece of information in hazard assessment.

Glimpse into the design of MRS instrument

ABSTRACTThe Magnetic Resonance Sounding method (MRS) was developed in the former USSR in the late 1970s. Nowadays, available MRS instruments are more compact and reliable, and enormous progress has been made in electronics, computers and materials. Therefore, we can hope that it may be possible to increase the maximum depth of water detection and to improve the resolution of the method by using a larger current in the loop. Quite naturally, the questions arise: what are the practical limits of the MRS method and how much should be transmitting power to get the maximum depth of investigation? In this paper, we analyse the depth of groundwater detection and the vertical resolution of the MRS assuming different loops and different power levels of the current generator. The originality of our approach consists of a joint analysis of the maximum depth of investigation using accept able loop voltage and the modifications in the instrument design necessary for the improvements. We show that even under very favourable conditions it would be difficult to get significant improvement in the depth of investigation using currently available instruments. For example, under favourable noise conditions when rocks have low electrical conductivity and are non‐magnetic, a 20 m thick water saturated sand layer can be detected at a depth of about 325 m using an existing instrument (4 kV of the loop voltage) with a 400 × 400 m2 square loop. A 20% increase in the detection depth (390 m instead of 325 m) requires more powerful electronic equipment (16 kV instead of 4 kV) thus rendering the MRS system larger and heavier. However, using a 16 kV instrument allows us to increase the resolution depth by about 80% (from 120 m to 215 m). When rocks are electrically conductive, the screening of the MRS signal limits the depth of investigation and allows for only minor improvements even with a much more powerful current generator.

Multiecho scheme advances surface NMR for aquifer characterization

AbstractSurface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is increasingly used as a method to noninvasively characterize aquifers. This technology follows a successful history of NMR logging, applied over decades to estimate hydrocarbon reservoir properties. In contrast to logging, however, surface methods have utilized relatively simple acquisition sequences, from which pore‐scale properties may not be reliably and efficiently estimated. We demonstrate for the first time the capability of sophisticated multiecho measurements to rapidly record a surface NMR response that more directly reflects aquifer characteristics. Specifically, we develop an adaptation of the multipulse Carr‐Purcell‐Meiboom‐Gill (CPMG) sequence, widely used in logging, to measure the T2 relaxation response in a single scan. We validate this approach in a field surface NMR data set and by direct comparison with an NMR log. Adoption of the CPMG marked a landmark advancement in the history of logging NMR; we have now realized this same advancement in the surface NMR method.

A Self-Sequestered Calmodulin-like Ca2+ Sensor of Mitochondrial SCaMC Carrier and Its Implication to Ca2+-Dependent ATP-Mg/Pi Transport

The mitochondrial carriers play essential roles in energy metabolism. The short Ca²⁺-binding mitochondrial carrier (SCaMC) transports ATP-Mg in exchange for Pi and is important for activities that depend on adenine nucleotides. SCaMC adopts, in addition to the transmembrane domain (TMD) that transports solutes, an extramembrane N-terminal domain (NTD) that regulates solute transport in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner. Crystal structure of the Ca²⁺-bound NTD reveals a compact architecture in which the functional EF hands are sequestered by an endogenous helical segment. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation rates indicated that removal of Ca²⁺ from NTD results in a major conformational switch from the rigid and compact Ca²⁺-bound state to the dynamic and loose apo state. Finally, we showed using surface plasmon resonance and NMR titration experiments that free apo NTDs could specifically interact with liposome-incorporated TMD, but that Ca²⁺ binding drastically weakened the interaction. Our results together provide a molecular explanation for Ca²⁺-dependent ATP-Mg flux in mitochondria.

Joint parameter estimation from magnetic resonance and vertical electric soundings using a multi‐objective genetic algorithm

ABSTRACTMagnetic resonance sounding (MRS) has increasingly become an important method in hydrogeophysics because it allows for estimations of essential hydraulic properties such as porosity and hydraulic conductivity. A resistivity model is required for magnetic resonance sounding modelling and inversion. Therefore, joint interpretation or inversion is favourable to reduce the ambiguities that arise in separate magnetic resonance sounding and vertical electrical sounding (VES) inversions. A new method is suggested for the joint inversion of magnetic resonance sounding and vertical electrical sounding data. A one‐dimensional blocky model with varying layer thicknesses is used for the subsurface discretization. Instead of conventional derivative‐based inversion schemes that are strongly dependent on initial models, a global multi‐objective optimization scheme (a genetic algorithm [GA] in this case) is preferred to examine a set of possible solutions in a predefined search space. Multi‐objective joint optimization avoids the domination of one objective over the other without applying a weighting scheme. The outcome is a group of non‐dominated optimal solutions referred to as the Pareto‐optimal set. Tests conducted using synthetic data show that the multi‐objective joint optimization approximates the joint model parameters within the experimental error level and illustrates the range of trade‐off solutions, which is useful for understanding the consistency and conflicts between two models and objectives. Overall, the Levenberg‐Marquardt inversion of field data measured during a survey on a North Sea island presents similar solutions. However, the multi‐objective genetic algorithm method presents an efficient method for exploring the search space by producing a set of non‐dominated solutions. Borehole data were used to provide a verification of the inversion outcomes and indicate that the suggested genetic algorithm method is complementary for derivative‐based inversions.

A numerical assessment of the use of surface nuclear magnetic resonance to monitor internal erosion and piping in earthen embankments

ABSTRACTThe ability to non‐invasively detect and monitor internal erosion and piping in earthen embankments is of great value to government agencies and municipalities responsible for maintaining large numbers of civil structures. Internal erosion can be a difficult failure mode of dams and levees to assess using traditional techniques. Surface nuclear magnetic resonance is a promising technology for monitoring these structures due to its direct sensitivity to liquid water. This is a new application for the method, and requires the formulation of a robust modelling framework capable of incorporating three dimensional water content models and topography. Adaptive octree meshes represent an efficient means to perform these calculations, as they are able to adapt and refine in areas where the kernel function is changing rapidly. Given the non‐trivial challenges associated with the development of realistic water content models, we focus on first‐order effects and present six 2.5D flow models representing seepage through a loaded earthen embankment under varying levels of erosional piping. Simulation results show that the employment of multiple surface nuclear magnetic resonance transmitter and receiver loops can provide early detection and effective monitoring of piping under the assumption of a 2.5D water content model. Therefore, the surface nuclear magnetic resonance technique has promise as a means for detection and/or monitoring of internal erosion and piping in earthen embankments.

The inversion of surface-NMR T1 data for improved aquifer characterization

A crucial component in sustainable freshwater management is the reliable and cost-effective characterization of groundwater aquifers. A technique that allows noninvasive characterization of shallow ([Formula: see text]) aquifers is surface nuclear magnetic resonance (surface NMR). The measured parameter longitudinal relaxation time [Formula: see text] provides a link to pore-scale properties and can be used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of the sampled region. The recent development of an optimized acquisition scheme, phase-cycled pseudosaturation recovery (pcPSR), has significantly advanced our ability to acquire surface-NMR [Formula: see text] data. Building on these findings, we developed an inversion scheme that can reconstruct the depth-distribution of [Formula: see text] from pcPSR data. To stabilize the inversion, we took a staggered approach: We first determined the distribution of water content and effective transverse relaxation time [Formula: see text], and then we resolved the [Formula: see text] structure. We tested the capability of the inversion in a synthetic study using models containing an unconfined and confined aquifer under conditions of low and high levels of ambient electromagnetic noise. The results allowed us to optimize the design of pcPSR experiments, finding that acquiring pcPSR data at three interpulse delay times is the best choice when acquiring surface-NMR data in an area with no prior information. We have verified our inversion approach in a field study in Nebraska, USA, where we had access to borehole lithologic information and logging-NMR [Formula: see text] measurements. Although the structural details ([Formula: see text]) detected in logging NMR were not resolved in surface NMR — highlighting the general resolution limitation of surface NMR — the two methods consistently revealed a zone of elevated [Formula: see text] corresponding to a sand and gravel unit, overlying a zone of lower [Formula: see text] corresponding to a sand/sandstone unit. Our developed inversion scheme is an important step toward the reliable interpretation of surface-NMR [Formula: see text] data for aquifer characterization.

One-dimensional hydrogeophysical forward model in surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) computations

Surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) technique is a novel method for the detection of groundwater and characterization of aquifers. A three-layered Earth model with a conductive-sandwiched bed (aquifer) within resistive layers has been used for estimating the SNMR signal. The magnetic field expressions have been developed for a three-layered medium due to an oscillating magnetic dipole kept above air-Earth interface. It involved independent theoretical formulation of the forward problem. For a given depth-wise distribution of water content confined to a three-layered Earth medium, the NMR signal response has been sought. The forward model is tested in a typical H-type Earth section and the computed NMR signal clearly identified the groundwater presence in the sandwiched layer. The computation of magnetic field expressions for a simple three-layered Earth sets the ground for computation and detection of more complex magnetic fields for multi-layered Earth containing materials of different resistivity. With global need for sustainable requirement of groundwater usage and distribution for various purposes, SNMR technique is slated to provide a means of faster and cheaper hydrological solutions.

Exploiting the MRS‐phase information to enhance detection of masked deep aquifers: examples from the Netherlands

ABSTRACTSeveral magnetic resonance soundings (MRS) in the Netherlands showed a monotonous single peak anomaly on the amplitude versus excitation moment sounding pattern, which were interpreted as a single aquifer when using an amplitude‐only mode MRS data inversion. However, in all these soundings, borehole logs documented the presence of two or three aquifers separated by clay‐rich aquitards in the first 100 m below ground surface. Such environments were electrically conductive so a phase excursion was noticeable on the MRS soundings. Multi‐aquifer systems, in a conductive environment, may show interference among signals originating from different parts of the systems including amplitude masking or destructive interference. A new version of an off‐the‐shelf MRS forward modelling and inversion tool (Samovar 11.3) allowing complex amplitude and phase inversion was used to detect and parameterize deep, MRS‐masked second aquifers at two selected sites in the Netherlands, one near Delft and one near Waalwijk. At the Delft site, the proposed strategy was effective in the detection and characterization of a second previously missed aquifer at 45 m below ground surface, while at the Waalwijk site, the second aquifer was not detected because of a considerably deeper aquifer at 85 m and too small excitation (6000 A ms). However, forward modelling showed that with a larger excitation moment (e.g., 13 000 A ms), detection and parameterization of the second aquifer would become possible when using both amplitude and phase.