New way of processing near-surface magnetic data: The utility of the Comprehensive Model of the Magnetic Field

Abstract

In assembling near-surface magnetic surveys (e.g., airborne or marine data) for regional geologic studies, one often has a problem in properly merging different surveys without applying ad-hoc leveling methods or warping the long-wavelengths of individual data sets. A new comprehensive long wavelength and long time span magnetic field model based on satellite and observatory data may, at last, resolve this problem. The model, the Comprehensive Model (CM), is developed by Terry Sabaka of Raytheon ITSS/NASA and Nils Olsen of the Danish Space Research Institute. The present version of the model, CM3, incorporates data from magnetic field satellites POGO (1965–1970), Magsat (1979–1980), Ørsted (2000 to present), and CHAMP (2001 to present) and magnetic observatory data from the early 1960s to 2002.