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Title: Feasibility of detecting artificial magnetic anomalies in hydrofractured rock by super-conducting gradiometer-SQUID systems

Book ·
OSTI ID:6666000

A study of the signal physics of magnetic anomaly detection by superconducting gradiometer-SQUID systems to determine the feasibility of possible applications to the geothermal energy program is described. The system would make full use of the incredible sensitivity of the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) which can be in the range of 10/sup 11/ Oe. In addition to magnetic anomalies in the earth's field produced by spherical distributions of magnetic matter, anomalies that would be artificially produced by flooding magnetic material into cracks produced by hydrofracturing in deep boreholes drilled into dry rock geothermal sources are considered. The study indicates that surface detection by horizontal and vertical gradiometers of crack anomalies will not be feasible if the magnetic material flooding the crack is a paramagnetic solution. However, one can concoct a slurry to carry prepolarized ferromagnetic particles of a size sufficiently large to permit domain formation but small enough to permit rotation and alignment in the earth's field.

OSTI ID:
6666000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English