Application of empirical model decomposition and independent component analysis to magnetic anomalies separation: A case study for Gobi desert coverage in Eastern Tianshan, China

Abstract

Traditional mineral resources prospecting and information extraction method cannot satisfy the complexity of geological and multi-stages of ore-forming processes. In this paper, empirical model decomposition (EMD) and independent component analysis (ICA) are applied to separate and reconstruct magnetic data so as to extract the signals from different sources. Firstly, original magnetic data is sifted to get intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) from high to low frequency. Secondly, ICA is utilized to reconstruct the former IMFs which obtained by removing background and get independent components (ICs). Finally, nine IMFs and three ICs are obtained by the combining method that is used to process magnetic data of Gobi desert coverage in Eastern Tianshan. IC1 discriminates igneous rocks, and may be related to magmatic intrusion, IC2 tracks the distribution of plates and may be related to plate subduction, IC3 indicates the basite-ultrabasic rocks which are distributed in the middle of area and may be related to crustal thickening.