Managing Missteps: Complications with Marine Magnetometer Surveys and Data Interpretation

摘要

The objective of this paper is to outline the advantages of using a gradiometer over a marine magnetometer for surveying the seafloor. Marine surveys conducted with a gradiometer will minimize external interference in the field allowing the interpreter to provide quick results with confidence. Many survey companies operating in the oil and gas industry rely heavily on a single magnetometer, which if not utilized properly can create multiple problems for archaeologists. Magnetic data with outside interference, bottom strikes, or collected during geomagnetic storms will creates data artifacts that look like real magnetic anomalies. Several shallow water surveys from 2015 are provided as examples of poorly collected data, which show how the data can inhibit an archaeologists' recommendations to operators. Operators that are required to use marine magnetometers will see the value in using gradiometers over single marine magnetometer, especially in surveys that may potentially identify shipwrecks or in areas with the potential for unexploded ordinance (UXO).