Article, 2024

An investigation of factors affecting the depths of steady-state surface nuclear magnetic resonance signals

Geophysics, ISSN 0016-8033, 1942-2156, Volume 89, 2, Pages j9-j17, 10.1190/geo2023-0068.1

Contributors

Grombacher, Denys James 0000-0003-2447-0085 [1] Griffiths, Matthew Peter 0000-0002-5674-539X [1] Kass, Mason Andrew [1] Larsen, Jakob Juul 0000-0002-4509-4480 [1]

Affiliations

  1. [1] Aarhus University
  2. [NORA names: AU Aarhus University; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD]

Abstract

Recent developments in surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data transmit schemes, called steady-state measurements, involve the acquisition of the NMR signal during a train of closely spaced identical pulses, and indicate great promise to enhance the measurement’s signal-to-noise ratio. The steady-state signal displays a complex dependence on a range of experimental parameters, such as the strength of the individual pulse and the separation between the pulses, as well as subsurface parameters, such as the relaxation times controlling the time dependence of the NMR signals. It is imperative to understand the role that each of these parameters plays in controlling the depth of origin for steady-state signals so as to enable optimization of a suite of measurements consisting of the fewest possible measurements delivering satisfactory resolution. A range of synthetic studies are conducted to gain insights into controls on steady-state signals’ depths of origin. Relaxation times, duty cycle, and pulse train timing are all observed to influence the signal’s depth, in addition to the pulse duration and current strength. A discussion of whether high-duty cycle steady-state sequences may enhance depth penetration is given, along with the presentation of a field data set composed of a nontraditional depth sounding approach, where repetition times are varied to encode depth sensitivity.

Keywords

acquisition, approach, complex dependence, control, cycle, data, dependence, depth, depth of origin, depth penetration, depth sensitivity, development, discussion, duration, duty, duty cycle, experimental parameters, factors, field, field data, identical pulses, individual pulses, investigation, investigation of factors, magnetic resonance, magnetic resonance signal, measured signal-to-noise ratio, measurements, nuclear magnetic resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance signals, optimization, origin, parameters, penetration, presentation, pulse, pulse duration, pulse train timing, ratio, relaxation, relaxation time, repetition, repetition time, resolution, resonance, resonance signal, satisfactory resolution, scheme, sensitivity, separation, sequence, signal, signal depth, signal-to-noise ratio, sound approach, steady-state measurements, steady-state sequence, steady-state signal, strength, study, subsurface, subsurface parameters, suite, suite of measurements, surface, surface nuclear magnetic resonance, surface nuclear magnetic resonance signal, synthetic studies, time, time dependence, training, training time

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