Three-dimensional Magnetotelluric Inversion and Model Validation with Potential Field Data and Seismics for the Central Portion of Parana Sedimentary Basin in Brazil

Abstract:

The Paraná basin, on the central-south region of the South American Plate, is one of the biggest South American intracratonic basins. It is composed by Paleozoic and Mesozoic sediments, which were covered by the enormous Cretaceous flood basalts, associated with the rifting of Gondwana and the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. Its depocenter region, with a maximum estimated depth of just over 7000 m, was crossed by three magnetotelluric - MT profiles proposed by the Brazilian Petroleum Agency (ANP) aimed at better characterizing its geological structure, as the seismic images are very poor. The data include about 350 MT broadband soundings spanning from 1000 Hz down to 2,000 s.

The MT data were processed using robust techniques and remote reference. Static shift observed in some stations were corrected based on Transient Electromagnetic – TEM measurements at each site. These models were integrated to existent gravity, magnetic and seismic data for a more comprehensive interpretation of the region.

A pilot 3D model has also been constructed on a crustal scale covering the study area using four frequencies per decade in the 3D inversion scheme proposed by Siripunvaraporn et al. (2005). The inversion scheme produced a reliable model and the observations were adequately reproduced, with observed fitting particularly better for the deeper structures related to basement compared to the 2D results. The main features in the conductivity model correspond to known geological features. These included the conductivity structures obtained for the upper crust, i.e. the sedimentary sequences, underlain by more resistive material, assumed to be basement. Local resistive features in the near-surface are associated to volcanic basalts covering the sediments. Some highly resistivity horizontal and vertical bodies were associated to volcanic intrusion like dikes and sills. We observed depressions on basement consistent with half-graben structures possibly filled with sandstones.