Numerical Simulations of Borehole Radar Detection for Metal Ore

We perform a finite-difference time-domain numerical simulation for metal ore detection by borehole radar. The ore-body model is a practical Ni-Cu-Pt one which is a magmatic deposit located in Sudbury, Canada. We design three boreholes along a cross section perpendicular to the geological strike of the formation which is composed of overburden, ore zone, iron formation, peridotite, granite gneiss, and sediments. We analyze the simulated borehole radar profiles and find that some interfaces could be detected. The ore zone is very absorptive to electromagnetic wave. By combined interpretation of the data from several boreholes, the azimuth ambiguity of the borehole radar could be overcome with some a priori geological information, and the geological structure could be delineated clearly.

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