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Severe limitations of the standard Euler deconvolution to outline source shapes have been pointed out. However, Euler deconvolution has been widely employed on field data to outline interfaces, as faults and thrust zones. We investigate the limitations of the 3D Euler deconvolution–derived estimates of source dip and volume with the use of reduced‐to‐the‐pole synthetic and field anomalies. The synthetic anomalies are generated by two types of source bodies: (1) uniformly magnetized prisms, presenting either smooth or rough interfaces, and (2) bodies presenting smooth delimiting interfaces but strong internal variation of magnetization intensity. The dip of the first type of body might be estimated from the Euler deconvolution solution cluster if the ratio between the depth to the top and vertical extent is relatively high (>1/4). For the second type of body, besides dip, the source volume can be approximately delimited from the solution cluster envelope, regardless of the referred ratio. We apply Euler deconvolution to two field anomalies which are caused by a curved‐shape thrust zone and by a banded iron formation. These anomalies are chosen because they share characteristics with the two types of synthetic bodies. For the thrust zone, the obtained Euler deconvolution solutions show spatial distribution allowing to estimate a source dip that is consistent with the surface geology data, even if the above‐mentioned ratio is much less than 1/4. Thus, there are other factors, such as a heterogeneous magnetization, which might be controlling the vertical spreading of the Euler deconvolution solutions in the thrust zone. On the other hand, for the iron‐ore formation, the solution cluster spreads out occupying a volume, in accordance with the results obtained with the synthetic sources having internal variation of magnetization intensity. As conclusion, although Euler deconvolution–derived solutions cannot offer accurate estimates of source shapes, they might provide a sufficient degree of reliability in the initial estimates of the source dip and volume, which may be useful in a later phase of more accurate modelling.

Obtaining high‐quality ground penetrating radar (GPR) images in karst is difficult because materials resulting from the weathering of carbonate rocks might be electrically conductive. As a consequence, penetration depth and signal resolution might be greatly reduced due to attenuation. In addition, fractures and faults might cause a significant amount of electromagnetic wave scattering. We present a 2D data processing flow which allows improving the quality of GPR images in carbonate karst. The processing flow is composed of the following steps: obtaining a zero‐offset section by removing the direct wave, low‐frequency noise removal, geometrical spreading and exponential gain compensation, spectral balancing, Kirchhoff migration, bandpass filtering, amplitude‐volume enhancement, and topographic correction. For a 200‐MHz dataset, we present in detail each step of the processing flow, exemplifying how to parameterize every step. Spectral balancing is of key importance because it can approximately replenish the high‐frequency content lost due to propagation effects. In this step, we recommend to shift the centroid frequency as much as possible to high‐frequency values, even exceeding the nominal value of the antenna center frequency, but still looking for a band‐limited spectrum as the goal. Despite the difficulty of migrating GPR data, we show that migration (even assuming a constant velocity) might enhance the lateral continuity of the reflection events and allows identification of discontinuities such as faults and fractures. If imaged in a better way, these structures can have special importance as they are often the boundaries of dissolution features. Obtaining images based on amplitude‐volume enhancement techniques allows to better visualize karst voids and deep‐rooted discontinuities because these features are often associated with low‐amplitude zones, which are highlighted in such images. Due to this processing flow, stratigraphic, structural and dissolution features can be enhanced, allowing the interpreter to establish spatial and genetic associations among these elements to obtain a better understanding of the karst formation process.

The best locations for water wells in crystalline terrains of semiarid lands are narrow, densely fractured and altered belts, normally associated with fault zones and folding axes. A simple electrical procedure, based on vertical soundings and multiple resistivity profiling, has been successfully applied for the structural mapping of these two-dimensional aquifers in northeast Brazil. The apparent resistivity sections constructed from partial electrical sounding measurements taken at a closely spaced interval along a traverse were interpreted using a finite-difference algorithm. This scheme allowed detailed description of the lateral and vertical extent of fractured aquifers and some of their hydrogeophysical characteristics. The results of a selected case study from Bahia state compare satisfactorily with available geophysical logs and production data of existing wells.