The application of the high-frequency electromagnetic sounding method in the exploration of underground thermal water

High-frequency electromagnetic sounding is an electromagnetic exploration method using the natural high-frequency electromagnetic field as a field source. It has higher resolution and greater depth penetration than the direct current method and is especially fit for geothermal energy exploration and low-and mid-level groundwater detection. We introduce a successful application of high-frequency electromagnetic sounding for evaluating geothermal water resources. The high frequency electromagnetic system (MT-U5A with a frequency range from 10 KHz to 1 Hz) is first applied to sample field data from China. A remote reference station is used to assure sampled data quality. We then perform 2D inversion image processing with the electrical method data. The results basically indicate the spatial distribution of underground geothermal water and provide favorable clues to finding the sources of the subsurface geothermal water in this area. © 2006, the Editorial Office of Applied Geophysics.