LIAG / Research / Methods / Electromagnetic methods / Surface-NMR 

Surface-NMR

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.

Surface-NMR is a relatively new geophysical technique based on the same principles of the well known medical MRT. Surface-NMR allows for deriving subsurface distributions on hydraulic parameter such water-content and permeability. Our Research focuses on the development of improved data processing algorithms, innovative measurements sequences and loop layouts and includes the development of new technical devices. In close cooperation with  the modelling and inversion group, advanced techniques for joint inversion with the georadar and geoelectrics are developed. Our research mainly targets hydrogeophysical questions and thus finds application in the research focus field groundwater. Together with laboratory- and logging-NMR scale independent research is undertaken. 

Current Projects

  • MoreSpin
    Mobile Magnetic Resonance Sensor with supraconducting coil for prepolarization in the near surface soil

Finished projects

  • SIRIUS B
    Simple and rapid imaging of groundwater using magnetic resonance 
  • SIMAR
    Structurally constrained Inversion of MAgnetic-resonance data using Georadar reflections
  • COMET
    COupled Magnetic resonance and Electrical resistivity Tomography
  • 2DQT
    Two-dimensional inversion of Surface-NMR data using the full (QT) data cube

Selected Publications

  • Kremer T., Irons T., Müller-Petke M., Larsen J. (2022): Review of Acquisition and Signal Processing Methods for Electromagnetic Noise Reduction and Retrieval of Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Parameters. - Surveys in Geophysics.
  • Hiller, T., Costabel, S., Radic, T., Dlugosch, R. & Müller-Petke, M. (2021): Feasibility study on prepolarized surface nuclear magnetic resonance for soil moisture measurements. - Vadose Zone Journal , 000(0): 000-015.
  • Hiller T., Costabel S., Dlugosch R., Müller-Petke M. (2021): First Measurements of Surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Signals Without an Oscillating Excitation Pulse-Exploiting Non-Adiabatic Prepolarization Switch Off. - Geophysical Research Letters, 48 (23), e2021GL095371.
  • Hiller, T., Dlugosch, R. & Müller-Petke, M. (2020): Utilizing pre-polarization to enhance SNMR signals - effect of imperfect switch-off. - Geophysical Journal International, 222 (2): 815-826.
  • Skibbe, R., Rochlitz, R., Günther, T., Müller-Petke, M. (2020): Coupled magnetic resonance and electrical resistivity tomography: An open-source toolbox for surface nuclear-magnetic resonance. - GEOPHYSICS 85 (3), F53-F64.
  • Müller-Petke, M. (2020): Non-remote reference noise cancellation-using reference data in the presence of surface-NMR signals. - Journal of Applied Geophysics, 177, 104040.
  • Dlugosch, R. & Müller-Petke, M (2020): Application of adiabatic pulses for Magnetic Resonance Sounding - pulse shapes and resolution. - Journal of Applied Geophysics, 179, 104070.
  • Davis, A., Skibbe, N., Müller-Petke, M. (2019): First measurements of surface nuclear magnetic resonance signals in a grounded bipole. - GRL, 46, 9620-9627
  • Lin, T., Yang, Y.,Teng,F., Müller-Petke, M. (2018): Enabling surface nuclear magnetic resonance at high noise environments using a pre-polarization pulse. - Geophysical Journal International, 212 (2), 1463-1467