Magnetotelluric Survey to Locate the 

Archean/Proterozoic Suture Zone North of 

Wells, Nevada 

By Jackie M. Williams and Brian D. Rodriguez 

Open-File Report 2006-1119 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
U.S. Department of the Interior 

Gale A. Norton, Secretary 

U.S. Geological Survey

P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director 

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 2006 

Revised and reprinted: 2006 

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ii
Contents

Introduction 1 

Electrical Rock Properties1 

Figure 12

Magnetotelluric Method3

Magnetotelluric Survey4

Magnetotelluric Data4

References7

Appendix 1 Magnetotelluric Data Plots10

iii
Introduction

It is important to know whether major mining districts in the Northern Nevada 

Gold Province are underlain by rocks of the Archean Wyoming craton, which are known 

to contain orogenic gold deposits (Hausel and Hull, 1990), or by accreted rocks of the 

Paleoproterozoic Mojave province (Whitmeyer and Karlstrom, 2004). It is also important 

to know the location and orientation of the Archean/Proterozoic suture zone between 

these provinces as well as major basement structures within these terranes because they 

may influence subsequent patterns of sedimentation, deformation, magmatism, and 

hydrothermal activity (Crafford and Grauch, 2002; Grauch and others, 2003). The 

Archean was the main gold-mineralization period, and Archean lode-gold deposits were 

formed at mid-crustal depths along major shear zones (Cameron, 1988). 

The nature of the crystalline basement below the Northern Nevada Gold Province 

and the location of major faults within it are relevant to Rodinian reconstructions, crustal 

development, and ore deposit models (e.g., Hofstra and Cline, 2000; Grauch and 

others, 2003). According to Whitmeyer and Karlstrom (2004), the Archean cratons of the 

northwestern United States and Canada had stabilized as continental lithosphere by 

2.5 Ga, and were rifted and assembled into a large continental mass by 1.8 Ga, to which 

the 1.73-1.68 Ga Mohave province was accreted by 1.65 Ga. The Archean/Proterozoic 

suture zone has a west-southwest strike where it is exposed (Reed, 1993) at the eastern 

Utah and southwestern Wyoming border (Cheyenne Belt) where it is characterized by an 

up to 7-km-thick mylonite zone (Smithson and Boyd, 1998). In the Great Basin, the 

strike of the Archean/Proterozoic suture zone is poorly constrained because it is largely 

concealed below a Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic miogeocline and basin fill. East-west and 

southwest-northeast strikes for the Archean/Proterozoic suture zone have been inferred 

based on Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic compositions of granitoid intrusions (Tosdal and 

others, 2000). To better constrain the location and strike of the Archean/Proterozoic 

suture zone below cover, three regional north-south magnetotelluric (MT) sounding 

profiles were acquired in western Utah and northeastern Nevada (Williams and 

Rodriguez, 2003; 2004; 2005), and one east-west MT sounding profile (fig. 1) MT 

sounding profile was acquired in northeastern Nevada. Resistivity modeling of the MT 

data can be used to investigate buried structures or sutures that may have influenced 

subsequent regional fluid flow and localized mineralization. The purpose of this report is 

to release the MT sounding data collected along the east-west profile in northeastern 

Nevada; no interpretation of the data is included. 

Electrical Rock Properties 

Electromagnetic geophysical methods detect variations in the electrical properties 

of rocks - in particular, electrical resistivity, or its inverse, electrical conductivity. 

Electrical resistivity can be correlated with geologic units on the surface and at depth 

using lithologic logs to provide a three-dimensional (3-D) picture of subsurface geology. 

In the upper crust the resistivity of geologic units is largely dependent upon their fluid 

content, pore-volume porosity, interconnected fracture porosity, and conductive mineral 

content (Keller, 1989). While there is not a one-to-one relationship between lithology 

and resistivity, there are general correlations that can be made using typical values, even 

though values can be found at other localities that may fall outside of the ranges 

1
 Figure 1. Magnetotelluric (MT) profile index map in north eastern Nevada. 

MT stations acquired in July 2005 are labeled 26-36. Base map modified from 

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Topographic Map of Nevada, 

scale 1:1,000,000 (1972). 

 

2
presented below (Palacky, 1987). Fluids within the pore spaces and fracture openings, 

especially if saline, can reduce resistivities in what would otherwise be a resistive rock 

matrix. Resistivity can also be lowered by the presence of electrically conductive clay 

minerals, graphitic carbon, and metallic mineralization. It is common, for example, for 

altered volcanic rocks to contain replacement minerals that have resistivities ten times 

lower than those of the surrounding rocks (Nelson and Anderson, 1992). Fine-grained 

sediments, such as clay-rich alluvium, marine shales, and other mudstones, are normally 

conductive from a few ohm-m to a few tens of ohm-m (Keller, 1987; Palacky, 1987). 

Metamorphic rocks (non-graphitic) and unaltered, unfractured igneous rocks are normally 

moderately to highly resistive (a few hundreds to thousands of ohm-m). Carbonate rocks 

can have similarly high resistivities depending on their fluid content, porosity, and 

impurities (Keller, 1987; Palacky, 1987). Fault zones may be moderately conductive 

(tens of ohm-m) when comprised of rocks fractured enough to have hosted fluid transport 

and consequent mineralogical alteration (Eberhart-Phillips and others, 1995). Higher 

subsurface temperatures cause higher ionic mobility that reduces rock resistivities 

(Keller, 1987; Palacky, 1987). Tables of electrical resistivity for a variety of rocks, 

minerals and geological environments may be found in Keller (1987) and Palacky (1987). 

Magnetotelluric Method 

The MT method is a passive surface electromagnetic geophysical technique that 

measures variations in the Earth's natural electromagnetic fields to investigate the 

electrical resistivity structure of the subsurface from depths of tens of meters to tens of

kilometers (Vozoff, 1991). Worldwide lightning activity at frequencies of 10,000 to 

1 Hertz (Hz) and geomagnetic micro-pulsations at frequencies of 1 to 0.001 Hz provide 

the majority of natural signal used by the MT method. The natural electromagnetic wave 

propagates vertically in the earth due to the large resistivity contrast between the air and 

the earth causing a vertical refraction of the electromagnetic wave transmitted into the

Earth (Vozoff, 1972). 

The natural electric and magnetic fields are recorded in two orthogonal, horizontal 

directions at the Earth’s surface (the vertical magnetic field is also recorded). The 

resulting time-series signals are used to derive tensor apparent resistivities and phases by 

first converting them to complex cross-spectra using Fourier transform techniques. Least 

squares, cross-spectral analysis (Bendat and Piersol, 1971) are used to solve for a tensor 

transfer function. Prior to conversion to apparent resistivity and phase, the tensor is 

normally rotated into principal directions that usually correspond to the direction of 

maximum and minimum apparent resistivity. For a two-dimensional (2-D) Earth, in 

which Earth’s resistivity structure varies with depth and in one lateral direction, the MT 

fields can be decoupled into transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) 

modes; 2-D resistivity modeling is generally computed to fit both modes. When the 

geology satisfies the 2-D assumption, the MT data for the TE mode represents electric 

fields oriented parallel to geologic strike, and the data for the TM mode represents 

electric fields oriented perpendicular to strike. The MT method is well suited for 

studying complicated geological environments because the electric and magnetic fields 

are sensitive to vertical and horizontal variations in resistivity. The method is capable of 

establishing whether the electromagnetic fields are responding to subsurface rock bodies 

3
of effectively 1, 2, or 3 dimensions. An introduction to the MT method and references 

for a more advanced understanding are contained in Dobrin and Savit (1988) and 

Vozoff (1991). 

Magnetotelluric Survey

Eleven MT soundings were collected in July 2005 along a 90-km-long profile in 

northeastern Nevada (fig. 1) starting just west of Toano Well No. 2, northeast of Wells, 

Nevada, near the Pequop Siding railroad stop, then continuing westerly and ending just 

northeast of Contact Ranch. The profile location was selected to cross the 

Archean/Proterozoic suture zone on the basis of hypothesized projections from MT data 

to the southeast (Williams and Rodriguez, 2004) and regional interpretations of geologic 

mapping (Reed, 1993). 

Station locations were chosen for proximity to roads and to avoid electrical noise 

such as power lines. All data at the stations were collected with a portable 

Electromagnetic Instruments, Inc. (EMI), MT-1 system (EMI, Inc.,1996). Horizontal 

electric fields were recorded using copper sulfate porous pots placed in an L-shaped, 

three-electrode array with dipole lengths of 30 meters (m). The orthogonal, horizontal 

magnetic fields in the direction of the electric-field measurement array were sensed using 

high magnetic permeability, mu-metal-cored induction coils. Frequencies were sampled 

from 0.009 to 70Hz, using single-station recordings of the orthogonal, horizontal 

components of the electric and magnetic fields and the vertical magnetic field. 

The following table lists the 11 MT station locations. Remote reference stations 

were not used because stations were located remotely from man-made noise sources. 

Coordinates are referenced to the 1866 Clarke spheroid and North American 1927 

Western United States datum. Longitude and latitude format is degrees:minutes:seconds. 

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) units and station elevations are in meters. The 

accuracy of the north and east component is ±5 m and is ±10 m for the elevation. X 

direction is in degrees clockwise from True North. 

Table 1 

Station X Dir. Longitude Latitude North(m) East(m) Elevation

 35 270 -115:37:03 41:19:31 4,575,574 11,615,704 1724 

 34 180 -115:29:34 41:19:06 4,574,981 11,626,160 1908 

 33 90 -115:22:15 41:18:49 4,574,636 11,636,356 2094 

 32 0 -115:15:46 41:19:01 4,575,175 11,645,417 1735 

 31 90 -115:06:47 41:16:49 4,571,384 11,658,025 1739 

 30 180 -115:01:17 41:11:16 4,561,283 11,665,936 1716 

 29 180 -114:52:53 41:18:06 4,574,203 11,677,371 1866 

 28 90 -114:46:02 41:16:33 4,571,553 11,687,006 1962 

 27 270 -114:40:42 41:15:09 4,569,181 11,694,513 1899 

 26 180 -114:32:28 41:15:23 4,570,132 11,705,926 1783 

 36 270 -114:32:55 41:22:33 4,583,177 11,704,999 1709

Magnetotelluric Data 

The recorded time-series data were converted to the frequency domain and 

processed to determine both the impedance tensor, which is used to derive apparent 

4
resistivities, and phase tensor at each site. Rotation of the impedance tensor to maximum

and minimum directions allowed for decoupling into the TE and TM modes. 

Although remote reference techniques were not used in the study, cross-power 

files were sorted to select optimal signal-to-noise time-series data sets (see Appendix 1). 

The effects of near-surface resistivity anomalies can give rise to “static shifts” in 

the data (Sternberg and others, 1988) that can be modeled with two-dimensional forward 

modeling in the near surface. Static shifts were significant at stations 33, 29, 28, 27, 

and 36. Cultural features can affect the response of the MT system. Fences, pipelines, 

communication lines, moving vehicles and trains, and other manmade sources of 

electromagnetic noise can contaminate the responses. 

The figures in Appendix 1 represent the field-processed MT data for each station 

after the time-series data were converted to the frequency domain, and after the 

tensor-transfer function was rotated into principal directions as described in the 

“Magnetotelluric Method” section of this report. 

For each station, nine separate plots are given:

1. Apparent Resistivity (x and o symbols are xy and yx components) 

2. Impedance Phase (x and o symbols are xy and yx components) 

3. Impedance Skew 

4. Multiple Coherency (x and o symbols are xy and yx components) 

5. Impedance Polar Plots 

6. Tipper Magnitude 

7. Tipper Strike 

8. HzHx (x symbol) and HzHy (o symbol) Coherency 

Error bars (],[) on the Apparent Resistivity, Impedance Phase, Skew, Tipper 

Magnitude, and Tipper Strike plots represent probable errors within one standard 

deviation of the sample variance (Gamble and others, 1979). 

Apparent resistivity is the ratio of the electric field strength magnitude over the 

magnetic field strength magnitude for a given frequency. The impedance phase is 

proportional to the slope of the apparent-resistivity curve on a log-log plot, relative to a 

baseline at -45 degrees (Vozoff, 1991). A measure of the dimensionality for MT data is 

provided by the impedance skew of the impedance tensor (Vozoff, 1972). If the 

effective, measured resistivity response to the geology beneath an MT station is truly 

one- or two-dimensional, then the skew will be zero. Both instrument and environmental 

sources of noise contribute to non-zero skew values but are typically small (about 0.1) for 

relatively low-noise-level recordings. Higher skews (more than 0.2) indicate either the 

resistivity response to 3-D geology or higher levels of noise. 

In the study area, noise from a number of small power lines and small moving 

vehicles was negligible at distances of 0.4 km and farther from the noise source. 

Power-line amplitude levels were measured at each site and were typically less than 20 

percent of the maximum recordable signals. Noise from larger power lines, power 

generators, pipelines, and trains was negligible at distances more than 5 km. Local 

lightning, wind, and rainstorms also can degrade data quality, but these were avoided by 

not recording during active thunderstorm periods. Burying the magnetic induction coils 

and keeping the electric dipole wires flat on the ground helped to minimize wind noise. 

5
Predicted values of the electric field can be computed from the measured values 

of the magnetic field (Vozoff, 1991). The coherence of the predicted electric field with 

the measured electric field is a measure of the signal-to-noise ratio provided in the 

multiple coherency plots. Values are normalized between 0 and 1, where values at 0.5

signify signal levels equal to noise levels. For this data set, coherencies generally were at 

an acceptable level, except at times in the frequency “dead band” (0.01 to 5 Hz) (Dobrin 

and Savit, 1988). 

The figures in Appendix 1 represent the field-processed MT data at each station, 

and include some data scatter and poor signal-to-noise ratios. The only effort aimed at 

removing noisy data points was to visually inspect and select the best signal-to-noise 

field data to combine into the final data plots. 

The impedance polar plots provide a measure of the MT data dimensionality 

(Reddy and others, 1977). For 1-D resistivity structures, the principal impedance 

(off-diagonal elements) polar diagram (dashed line) is a circle. For 2-D or 3-D resistivity 

structures, the principal impedance polar diagram (dashed line) elongates either parallel 

to or perpendicular to strike direction. Over resistors, the principal impedance polar 

diagram elongates perpendicular to strike direction, while over conductors, the principal 

impedance polar diagram elongates parallel to strike direction. For 2-D resistivity 

structures, the additional impedance polar diagram (solid line) attains the shape of a 

symmetric clover leaf. For 3-D resistivity structures, the additional impedance polar 

diagram (solid line) elongates in one direction, and its amplitude is comparable to that of 

the principal impedance polar diagram (dashed line), although high noise levels can 

produce the same effect on the polar diagram. A 3-D analysis of polar plots at each 

frequency should also take into account the corresponding coherence and skew values 

along with their associated error levels. The polar plots computed for our data show 

station 35 was moderately 3-D below 0.05 Hz. Stations 33 and 32, were weakly 3-D 

below 0.05 Hz. Station 31 was moderately 3-D below 0.1 Hz. Station 29 was weakly 3-D 

below 0.2 Hz. Because of noise, station 27 is difficult to interpret but is possibly 3-D 

below 1 Hz. Station 36 was moderately 3-D below 0.2 Hz. Station 28 was 3-D over all 

frequencies. 

The tipper can be calculated from the vertical component of the magnetic field. 

The tipper magnitude is a measure of the tipping of the magnetic field out of the 

horizontal plane (Vozoff, 1991). The magnitude is zero for the 1-D case, typically 

increases between 0.1 to 0.5, and rarely is as great as 1 as it responds to vertical and 

subvertical structures. The tipper strike typically is used to help resolve the 90-degree 

ambiguity in the impedance rotation angle. The tipper magnitude of these stations 

typically ranged between 0.1 and 0.6 over the lower frequencies, indicating some vertical 

structure at depth. The HzHx and HzHy coherency is a measure of the signal-to-noise 

ratio of the vertical magnetic field with respect to each of the orthogonal, horizontal 

magnetic field directions. Values are normalized between 0 and 1, where values of 0.5 

signify signal levels equal to noise levels. These three components of magnetic-field 

coherence provide a check on the quality of the measured values in the tipper magnitude 

and tipper strike plots. 

6
References 

Bendat, J.S., and Piersol, A.G., 1971, Random data-analysis and measurement 

procedures: New York, Wiley Interscience, 407 p. 

Cameron, E.M., 1988, Archean gold: relation to granulite formation and redox zoning in 

the crust: Geology, v. 16, p. 109-112. 

Crafford, A.E.J., and Grauch, V.J.S., 2002, Geologic and geophysical evidence for the 

influence of deep crustal structures on Paleozoic tectonics and the alignment of 

world class gold deposits, north-central Nevada, USA: Ore Geology Reviews, 

vol. 21, p. 157-184. 

Dobrin, M.D., and Savit, C.H., 1988, Introduction to Geophysical Prospecting (4th ed.): 

New York, McGraw-Hill, 867 p. 

Eberhart-Phillips, Donna, Stanley, W.D., Rodriguez, B.D., and Lutter, W.J., 1995, 

Surface seismic and electrical methods to detect fluids related to faulting: Journal 

of Geophysical Research, v. 100, no. B7, p. 12,919-12,936. 

EMI, Inc., 1996, MT-1 magnetotelluric system operation manual, version 3.2: Richmond, 

Calif., Electromagnetic Instruments, Inc., 220 p. 

Gamble, T.D., Goubau, W.M., and Clarke, J., 1979, Error analysis for remote reference 

magnetotellurics: Geophysics, v. 44, no. 5, p. 959-968. 

Grauch, V.J.S, Rodriguez, B.D., and Wooden, J.L., 2003, Geophysical and isotopic 

constraints on crustal structure related to mineral trends in north-central Nevada 

and implications for tectonic history: Economic Geology and the Bulletin of the 

Society of Economic Geologists, v. 98, no. 2, p. 269-286. 

Hausel, W.D. and Hull, J., 1990, Guide to gold mineralization and Archean geology of 

the South Pass greenstone belt, Wind River Range, Wyoming, in Roberts, S., ed.: 

Geologic Field Tours of Western Wyoming and Parts of Adjacent Idaho, Montana 

and Utah, Public Information Circular, Geological Survey of Wyoming, vol. 29, 

p. 179-191. 

Hofstra, A.H. and Cline, J.S., 2000, Characteristics and models for Carlin-type gold 

deposits, Chapter 5: in Hagemann, S.G. and Brown, P.E., eds., Gold in 2000, 

Reviews in Economic Geology, v. 13, p. 163-220. 

Keller, G.V., 1987, Rock and mineral properties, in Nabighian, M.N., ed., 

Electromagnetic Methods in Applied Geophysics Theory: Tulsa, Okla., Society of 

Exploration Geophysicists, v. 1, p. 13-51. 

7
Keller, G.V., 1989, Electrical properties, in Carmichael, R.S., ed., Practical Handbook of 

Physical Properties of Rocks and Minerals: Boca Raton, Fla., CRC Press, 

p. 359-427. 

Nelson, P.H., and Anderson, L.A., 1992, Physical properties of ash flow tuff from Yucca 

Mountain, Nevada: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 97, no. B5, 

p. 6,823-6,841. 

Palacky, G.J., 1987, Resistivity characteristics of geologic targets, in Nabighian, M.N., 

ed., Electromagnetic Methods in Applied Geophysics Theory: Tulsa, Okla., 

Society of Exploration Geophysicists, v. 1, p. 53-129. 

Reddy, I.K., Rankin, David, and Phillips, R.J., 1977, Three-dimensional modelling in

magnetotelluric and magnetic variational sounding: Geophysical Journal of the 

Royal Astronomical Society, v. 51, p. 313-325. 

Reed, J.C., 1993, Precambrian rocks of the conterminous United States, in The Geology 

of North America: Geological Society of America, v. C-2, plate 1. 

Smithson, S B., and Boyd, N.K., 1998, Geophysical constraints on the deep structure of 

the Cheyenne belt, Southeastern Wyoming, in Karlstrom, K.E., ed.: Lithospheric 

structure and evolution of the Rocky Mountains, Part I, Rocky Mountain 

Geology, vol. 33, no. 2, p. 279-292. 

Sternberg, B.K., Washburne, J.C., and Pellerin, Louise, 1988, Correction for the static 

shift in magnetotellurics using transient electromagnetic soundings: Geophysics, 

v. 53, p. 1,459-1,468. 

Tosdal, R.M., Wooden, J.L, and Kistler, R.W., 2000, Geometry of the Neoproterozoic 

continental break-up, and implications for location of Nevadan mineral belts, in

Geology and Ore Deposits 2000: The Great Basin and Beyond, Symposium 

Proceedings: Cluer, J.K., Price, J.G., Struhsacker, R.F., Hardyman, R.F., and 

Morris, C.L., eds., Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, v. I, p. 451-466. 

Vozoff, Keeva, 1972, The magnetotelluric method in the exploration of sedimentary 

basins: Geophysics, v. 37, p. 98-141. 

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Methods in Applied Geophysics: Tulsa, Oklahoma, Society of Exploration 

Geophysicists, v. 2, pt. B, p. 641-711. 

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Laurentia by magmatic stabilization of lithosphere: Geological Society of 

America Abstracts with Programs, Denver, Co., vol. 36, no. 5, p. 404. 

8
Williams, J.M., and Rodriguez, B.D., 2003, Magnetotelluric data release for locating the 

Archean/Proterozoic suture zone, east central Tooele County, Utah: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-495, 119 p. 

(http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/ofr-03-495/) 

Williams, J.M., and Rodriguez, B.D., 2004, Magnetotelluric survey to locate the 

Archean/Proterozoic suture zone in northeastern Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 2004-1215, 212 p. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1215) 

Williams, J.M., and Rodriguez, B.D., 2005, Magnetotelluric survey to locate the 

Archean/Proterozoic suture zone in north-central Elko County, Nevada: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1255, 184 p. 

(http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1255) 

 

9
Appendix 1 Magnetotelluric Data Plots 

There are nine separate plots for each station: 

1. Apparent Resistivity for the unrotated xy (x symbol) and yx (o symbol) modes 

2. Impedance Phase for the unrotated xy (x symbol) and yx (o symbol) modes 

3. Impedance Skew for the impedance tensor 

4. Multiple Coherency for the xy (x symbol) and minimum (o symbol) modes of the 

electric field

5. Impedance Polar Plots (at 12 selected frequencies) 

6. Tipper Magnitude for the vertical magnetic field 

7. Tipper Strike for the vertical magnetic field 

8. HzHx (x symbol) and HzHy (o symbol) Coherency 

Refer to the “Magnetotelluric Data” section in this report for an explanation of 

these plots. 

10