Integrated geophysical approach for the seafloor massive sulfide (SMS)
exploration
Abstract
In the SIP ““Next-generation Ocean Resource Exploration Techniques”
project, various types of geophysical surveys, such as time-domain
electromagnetic (TDEM), DC resistivity, self-potential, magnetic and
gravity, were carried out other than seismic survey in Izena Hole,
Okinawa Trough. These multimodal geophysical data give us the
information of physical properties and it is required to integrate these
results with seismic section to estimate seafloor massive sulfide
deposits. We have developed an appropriate workflow for the quantitative
interpretation as well as the 3D inversion technique for multimodal
geophysical data, which incorporates known geological/geophysical
constraints. Although geophysical inverse problem is generally ill-posed
and unstable, a priori information can help reducing non-uniqueness and
increasing stability. In the framework of our quantitative
interpretation approach, the 3D inversion itself is data driven, but a
priori geophysical/geological model, which is constructed using seismic
and well-log data, is used as the initial and reference model during the
iterative inversion process. We also have carried out rock-sampling and
drilling to study the petrophysical/mineralogical characteristics. The
mineralogical analysis of rock samples was performed using the
quantitative evaluation of minerals by scanning electron microscopy
(QEMSCAN) system. The results show that the rocks from the survey area
include a large amount of sulfides. The complex resistivity measurements
were performed in order to clarify the electrical properties of rocks.
As expected, strong induced polarization (IP) effect was observed,
mainly caused by the large amount of sulfide minerals. We have compiled
these multimodal geophysical inversion results and
petrophysical/mineralogical analysis to estimate the SMS deposit. There
are good correlations between multimodal geophysical data and the
hydrothermal deposit (e.g.. conductivity anomaly, magnetic anomaly and
chargeability anomaly). Therefore, multimodal geophysical methods can be
effectively used for exploration and delineation of the seafloor massive
sulfide deposits.