Static shift levelling using geomagnetic transfer functions

Galvanic distortion of magnetotelluric (MT) data is a common problem in the study of the Earth’s electrical properties. These distortions are local, they affect independently each MT site, and where restricted to distortion of the electric field are manifest as vertical shifts in the apparent resistivity curves (static shift). The removal of the static shift is necessary to avoid misinterpreting MT data. We present a method that allows us to partially retrieve the regional response of the TE-mode data in a 2D case. The method determines relative changes between distortion parameters along a profile, and is based in the Faraday’s law, and uses only magnetotelluric responses: measured impedance tensor and geomagnetic transfer function (tipper). The method is valid under the assumption that the variation of horizontal magnetic field can be neglected, and a test for checking this criterion has been developed. The mathematics involved in the procedure are straightforward, and can be stated as a linear regression. We present successful applications to both synthetic and real (COPROD data) datasets.