Enhancing electrical signals with sensor arrays

Abstract

Increasingly, electrical surveys employ multiple sensors to make data collection more efficient. The use of multiple sensors can also be used to improve signal fidelity from each sensor, leading to more accurate geological models and greater depth of investigation. New procedures to remove noise in data collected using an array of sensors have been developed and tested. These algorithms attempt to remove two types of noise: harmonic noise associated with the mains power grid and atmospheric transients due to distant lightning strikes and electrical storms. Field tests demonstrate improvements in signal-to-noise by two orders of magnitude. The algorithms are applicable to any type of electrical or EM survey conducted with a sensor array.