LIAG / Institute / Departments / Geoelectrics & Electromagnetics 

Geoelectrics & Electromagnetics

The section conducts experimental and theoretical research to image the subsurface structure and to characterize processes that change the subsurface using electromagnetic methods. Imaging und chracterization therefore base on the physical properties electrical conductivity, dielectric permitivity and magnetic permeability.

Research

The research of section 2 aims on the advancement of existing and the development of new electromagnetic methods. We focus our work on improving the ability to image dynamic processes such as the spatial and temporal variation of the salt/fresh water interface in coastal regions. Further, we develop scale- and method-independent approaches to enhance the reliability of parameter distributions used to inform subsurface modeling. Finally, we deliver high-resolution subsurface models to allows for sedimentological investigations.  

Within the research field of Geoelectrics we target on the dc-resistivity method. Of special interest are large-scale layouts and monitoring experiments as well as developing data interpretation software. The research field surface-NMR advances the technique to conduct NMR experiments by using large coils placed at the Earths surface that allows for deriving hydrological parameter. The Georadar group conducts research in the field of high-frequency electromagnetic wave to investigate groundwater-systems, sedimentological questions and the detection of explosive ordnances.  The developments in the fields of measurement equipment as well as modeling and inversion technqiues are focussed on the above mentioned methods while the modeling and inversion group deals with handling partial differential equations, mainly maxwells-equations. Further they develop modern inverse modeling approaches and data-processing algorithms, mainly for improved characterization of coastal aquifers and the critical zone.

Research fields

Selected current projects

  • DESMEX 2 & DEXMEX real
    Deep Electromagnetic Soundings for Mineral EXploration
  • HOPE (with S1 and S3)
    Investigation of faults in New Zeeland
  • DynaDeep
    The Dynamic Deep Subsurface of High-Energy Beaches
  • BlueTransition
    How to make my region climate resilient
  • KiSNeT
    Königshafen Submarine Groundwater Discharge Network
  • MoreSpin
    Mobile Magnetic Resonance Sensor with supraconducting coil for prepolarization in the near surface soil
  • TONIA
    plot-specific optimized nutrition management in precision agriculture
  • GeoMetEr (with S1)
    Developing geophysical techniques and combinations of methods for high-resolution exploration programs
  • OGER (with S1)
    Optimised Groundwater Exploration through combination of innovative seismic and electromagnetic methods

All projects

News & Dates

Selected Publications

  • Stadler, S., Schnennen, S., Hiller, T. & Igel, J. (2023): Realistic simulation of GPR for landmine and IED detection including antenna models, soil dispersion and heterogeneity, Near Surface Geophysics, doi:10.1002/nsg.12282.
  • Hiller, T., Costabel, S., Dlugosch, R., Splith, T. & Müller-Petke, M. (2023): Advanced surface coil layout with intrinsic noise cancellation properties for surface-NMR applications. - Magnetic Resonance Letters, 3(2): 140-149, doi:10.1016/j.mrl.2023.03.008.
  • Nazari, S., Rochlitz, R. & Günther, T. (2023): Optimizing semi-airborne electromagnetic survey design for mineral explorationMinerals 23(6), 796, doi:10.3390/min13060796.
  • Splith, T., Hiller, T. & Müller-Petke, M. (2023): Bloch-Siegert Effect for Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Sounding Experiments in the Unsaturated Zone. - Applied Magnetic Resonance. doi:10.1007/s00723-023-01582-3.
  • Rochlitz, R., Becken, M. & Günther, T. (2023): Three-dimensional inversion of semi-airborne electromagnetic data with a second-order finite-element forward solver, Geophysical Journal International, 234(1), 528-545. doi:10.1093/gji/ggad056.
  • Wadas, S.H., Buness, H., Rochlitz, R., Skiba, P., Günther, T., Grinat, M., Tanner, D.C., Polom, U., Gabriel, G. & Krawczyk, C.M. (2022): Geophysical analysis of an area affected by subsurface dissolution – case study of an inland salt marsh in northern Thuringia, Germany. Solid Earth, 13: 1673-1696, doi:10.5194/se-13-1673-2022.
  • Stadler, S. & Igel, J. (2022): Developing Realistic FDTD GPR Antenna Surrogates by Means of Particle Swarm Optimization. - IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 70(6): 4259-4272. doi:10.1109/TAP.2022.3142335

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