Resistivity anomaly imaging by probability tomography

Probability tomography is a new concept reflecting the inherently uncertain nature of any geophysical interpretation. The rationale of the new procedure is based on the fact that a measurable anomalous field, representing the response of a buried feature to a physical stimulation, can be approximated by a set of partial anomaly source contributions. These may be given a multiplicity of configurations to generate cumulative responses, which are all compatible with the observed data within the accuracy of measurement. The purpose of the new imaging procedure is the design of an occurrence probability space of elementary anomaly sources, located anywhere inside an explored underground volume. In geoelectrics, the decomposition is made within a regular resistivity lattice, using the Frechet derivatives of the electric potential weighted by resistivity difference coefficients. The typical tomography is a diffuse image of the resistivity difference probability pattern, that is quite different from the usual modelled geometry derived from standard inversion.