Magnetic survey for delineating subsurface structures and estimating magnetic sources depth, Wadi Fatima, KSA

The studied area is characterized by having complex structures that trend mainly in the NNW–SSE, N–S and E–W to ENE–WSW directions. Magnetic survey is used to delineate the subsurface structures and to estimate the magnetic sources depth of the selected area in Wadi Fatima, Saudi Arabia. Reduction to pole (RTP), 3D Euler deconvolution, and edge enhancement using standard deviation filters have been applied in order to achieve the above mentioned goals. Edge enhancement using standard deviation is mainly used to delineate the subsurface structures while the 3D Euler deconvolution is used not only to delineate major subsurface structures but also to determine the structural indices of them as well as the average depth of the magnetic sources. The calculated structural indices show that the area is mainly affected by contacts/thin sheet and the estimated depth of magnetic sources ranged between ≈15 m and ≈31 m. This study has given a clear picture of the geologic structures beneath the study area as well as guidance for geoelectric studies necessary for groundwater and engineering investigations.