Equipment Attached to Bike Figure 5. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Geophysical Application Anomalies in the earth's magnetic field are produced by variations in the magnetic properties of rocks within the earth's subsurface. Magnetic surveying is a particularly good method of mapping subsurface volcanic rocks because these rocks have strong magnetic properties. Therefore, accurate magnetic mapping represents a critical step in determining the volcanic history of a region as part of a volcanic hazard analysis. Magnetic Anomaly Map A geophysical instrument called a magnetometer is used to collect the data needed to generate a magnetic anomaly map.
Magnetometers measure small changes in the intensity of the earth's magnetic field.
A geophysical survey crew transports the magnetometer across a study area, while continually taking magnetic measurements. Magnetic and GPS data are radio-telemetered to a base station where software, running under the Linux operating system, is used to visualize the magnetic data as they are collected. This base station also monitors the location of the magnetometer, then processes and stores these data. With real-time visualization, the survey crew gains quick insight into the magnetic anomalies being mapped. Using this information, survey teams can concentrate their time and energy mapping areas that reveal significant details about the subsurface geology.