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From nanotesla to picotesla — A new window for magnetic prospecting in archaeology
Author(s) -
Becker Helmut
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
archaeological prospection
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.785
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1099-0763
pISSN - 1075-2196
DOI - 10.1002/1099-0763(199512)2:4<217::aid-arp6140020405>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - prospecting , magnetometer , window (computing) , visualization , archaeology , geology , resampling , magnetic survey , sampling (signal processing) , magnetite , computer science , magnetic anomaly , remote sensing , mineralogy , geography , mining engineering , magnetic field , artificial intelligence , computer vision , geophysics , physics , paleontology , filter (signal processing) , quantum mechanics , operating system
The first use of a picotesla (1 pT = 0.001 nanotesla) sensitivity on the ground is reported for magnetic prospecting in archaeology. The instrument consists of two caesium magnetometers, CS2 (Scintrex, Canada), and a magnetometer processor, MEP720 (Picodas, Canada), which is interfaced to a subnotebook computer for control and data logging. Time mode sampling every 0.1 s allows resampling at 10 cm intervals. Digital image processing techniques are used for the visualization of data. The system opens a new window for magnetic prospecting in archaeology, especially by detecting archaeological structures with an extremely weak magnetization contrast, caused by biogenic magnetite.