Michael Zhdanov

Last updated
Michael Semenovich Zhdanov
EducationPhD., Physics and Mathematics
DSc., Physics and Mathematics
Alma mater Moscow State University
Occupation(s) Geophysicist, academic and author
Scientific career
Institutions University of Utah
TechnoImaging

Michael Semenovich Zhdanov is a geophysicist, academic and author. He is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah, [1] Director of the Consortium for Electromagnetic Modeling and Inversion (CEMI), [2] as well as the Founder, chairman and CEO of TechnoImaging.

Contents

Zhdanov is most known for his work in geophysical inverse theory, ill-posed problem solutions, and electromagnetic methods. He has pioneered 3D inversion methods for geophysical data, extended migration principles to electromagnetic and potential fields, and also researched theoretical and applied geophysical electromagnetic methods. [3] His publications comprise research articles and 16 books, including Geophysical Inverse Theory and Regularization Problems and Advanced Methods of Joint Inversion and Fusion of Multiphysics Data. He is the recipient of the 2009 University of Utah Distinguished Scholarly and Creative Research Award. [4]

Zhdanov is a Fellow of the Electromagnetics Academy [5] and an Honorary Member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. [6] He is the Chief Editor of the Applied & Theoretical Geophysics section of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences and Editor-in-Chief of the Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications section of Minerals. [7]

Education and early career

Zhdanov earned a PhD in Physics and Mathematics in 1970, followed by a Doctor of Sciences degree in Physics and Mathematics in 1978, both from Moscow State University in Russia. Concurrently, he began his academic career, initially as an Assistant Professor and later Associate and Full Professor at Moscow Gubkin State University. [1]

Career

Zhdanov continued his academic work as an Honorary Professor of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences in 1990 and the China National Center of Geological Exploration Technology in 1997. He joined the University of Utah as a Full Professor in 1993 and was elected to the position of Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics in 2016. [1] Since 1995, he has been the Director of the Consortium for Electromagnetic Modeling and Inversion (CEMI), where he has worked on the broad application of inversion theory and non-seismic geophysical methods in industry. [2]

In 1990, Zhdanov assumed the position of Founder and Director of the Geoelectromagnetic Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Science. In 2014, he was elected to the Governing Committee of the Oil and Gas Division of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) and has since chaired multiple organizing committees for EAGE conferences. [8] Additionally, in 2005, he founded TechnoImaging, a University of Utah spin-off company specializing in advanced 3D imaging solutions for various geophysical methods in mineral, geothermal, oil and gas exploration, and environmental monitoring, and continues to serve as its chairman and CEO. [9]

Research

Zhdanov has contributed to the field of geophysics by developing geophysical inverse theory, advancing 3D electromagnetic modeling, migration, inversion techniques for airborne, ground, and marine electromagnetic and induced polarization methods, gravity and gravity gradiometry, magnetic and magnetic gradiometry, researching methods for 3D joint inversion of multiphysics data and extending migration principles from seismic methods to electromagnetic and potential fields. [3]

Inverse theory

Zhdanov's work on inverse theory has focused on developing regularization methods. In his books Geophysical Inverse Theory and Regularization Problems and Inverse Theory and Applications in Geophysics, he presented modern geophysical inverse theory, providing unified solutions for ill-posed inverse problems in the framework of Tikhonov regularization. With his graduate student Oleg Portniaguine, he developed a 3D magnetic anomaly inversion method using Tikhonov regularization theory and validated it on synthetic and real airborne data. [10] They introduced "focusing regularization" for high-resolution imaging of targets with sharp boundaries. [11] These new methods were summarized in the monograph Geophysical Inverse Theory and Regularization Problems, published by him in 2002. Furthermore, he developed a new method for interpreting tensor gravity gradient data, improving geological target imaging and enhancing mineral exploration effectiveness. [12]

In 2023, Zhdanov published Advanced Methods of Joint Inversion and Fusion of Multiphysics Data, exploring advanced methods and AI-aided techniques for integrating multiple data types in physics and geophysics to reduce uncertainty without relying on specific empirical relationships. He introduced the generalized joint inversion method of multimodal geophysical data using Gramian constraints. [13] He also devised methods for multinary inversion, [14] subsurface imaging, [15] terrain correction, [16] and joint inversion of multiple datasets. [17]

Electromagnetic methods

Zhdanov has also researched electromagnetic inverse theory throughout his career. In a collaborative study, he introduced a new method for accurate 3D electromagnetic modeling and inversion in complex structures with variable background conductivity, ideal for marine controlled-source data, [18] along with a method for more efficient interpretation of marine controlled-source electromagnetic (MCSEM) data in offshore petroleum exploration. [19] In addition, he and his graduate student Hongzhu Cai presented a method using virtual receivers to improve sensitivity in analyzing controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) data. [20] Later, alongside Leif Cox, he developed an advanced method of 3D inversion of large-scale geophysical survey data using a moving sensitivity domain approach. They also showcased a method to extract induced polarization properties from airborne electromagnetic (EM) data. [21]

Zhdanov discussed electrical methods in applied geophysics, including Direct Current, Magnetotelluric, and Controlled-Source Electromagnetic techniques, in the book The Geoelectrical Methods in Geophysical Exploration. Subsequently, he authored Geophysical Electromagnetic Theory and Methods and Foundations of Geophysical Electromagnetic Theory and Methods demonstrating advanced electromagnetic (EM) theories and methods for geophysical exploration, highlighting advances and practical applications. He also developed the generalized effective-medium theory of induced polarization (IP), which links the mineral composition of the rocks and the IP effect. This can be used for subsurface material characterization, mineral discrimination and hydrocarbon reservoir characterization, based on electromagnetic methods. [22] His work led to developments in this area, which he patented, including methods for real-time subsurface imaging from moving platforms [23] remote exploration for resources using long-range stationary transmitters, [24] electromagnetic migration imaging, [25] gradient electromagnetic induction well logging, [26] [27] mineral exploration and discrimination based on electromagnetic methods, [28] and broad-band electromagnetic holographic imaging. [29]

Awards and honors

Bibliography

Selected books

Selected articles

Related Research Articles

An inverse problem in science is the process of calculating from a set of observations the causal factors that produced them: for example, calculating an image in X-ray computed tomography, source reconstruction in acoustics, or calculating the density of the Earth from measurements of its gravity field. It is called an inverse problem because it starts with the effects and then calculates the causes. It is the inverse of a forward problem, which starts with the causes and then calculates the effects.

Seismic tomography or seismotomography is a technique for imaging the subsurface of the Earth with seismic waves produced by earthquakes or explosions. P-, S-, and surface waves can be used for tomographic models of different resolutions based on seismic wavelength, wave source distance, and the seismograph array coverage. The data received at seismometers are used to solve an inverse problem, wherein the locations of reflection and refraction of the wave paths are determined. This solution can be used to create 3D images of velocity anomalies which may be interpreted as structural, thermal, or compositional variations. Geoscientists use these images to better understand core, mantle, and plate tectonic processes.

A telluric current, or Earth current, is an electric current that flows underground or through the sea, resulting from natural and human-induced causes. These currents have extremely low frequency and traverse large areas near or at the Earth's surface. The Earth's crust and mantle are host to telluric currents, with around 32 mechanisms generating them, primarily geomagnetically induced currents caused by changes in the Earth's magnetic field due to solar wind interactions with the magnetosphere or solar radiation's effects on the ionosphere. These currents exhibit diurnal patterns, flowing towards the Sun during the day and towards the poles at night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prospecting</span> The physical search for minerals

Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis of a territory. It is the search for minerals, fossils, precious metals, or mineral specimens. It is also known as fossicking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reflection seismology</span> Explore subsurface properties with seismology

Reflection seismology is a method of exploration geophysics that uses the principles of seismology to estimate the properties of the Earth's subsurface from reflected seismic waves. The method requires a controlled seismic source of energy, such as dynamite or Tovex blast, a specialized air gun or a seismic vibrator. Reflection seismology is similar to sonar and echolocation.

Exploration geophysics is an applied branch of geophysics and economic geology, which uses physical methods at the surface of the Earth, such as seismic, gravitational, magnetic, electrical and electromagnetic, to measure the physical properties of the subsurface, along with the anomalies in those properties. It is most often used to detect or infer the presence and position of economically useful geological deposits, such as ore minerals; fossil fuels and other hydrocarbons; geothermal reservoirs; and groundwater reservoirs. It can also be used to detect the presence of unexploded ordnance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnetotellurics</span> Electromagnetic geophysical technique

Magnetotellurics (MT) is an electromagnetic geophysical method for inferring the earth's subsurface electrical conductivity from measurements of natural geomagnetic and geoelectric field variation at the Earth's surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electrical resistivity tomography</span> A geophysical technique for imaging sub-surface structures

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) or electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) is a geophysical technique for imaging sub-surface structures from electrical resistivity measurements made at the surface, or by electrodes in one or more boreholes. If the electrodes are suspended in the boreholes, deeper sections can be investigated. It is closely related to the medical imaging technique electrical impedance tomography (EIT), and mathematically is the same inverse problem. In contrast to medical EIT, however, ERT is essentially a direct current method. A related geophysical method, induced polarization, measures the transient response and aims to determine the subsurface chargeability properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeromagnetic survey</span> Surveying method, analyzing the magnetic properties of large regions from high altitudes

An aeromagnetic survey is a common type of geophysical survey carried out using a magnetometer aboard or towed behind an aircraft. The principle is similar to a magnetic survey carried out with a hand-held magnetometer, but allows much larger areas of the Earth's surface to be covered quickly for regional reconnaissance. The aircraft typically flies in a grid-like pattern with height and line spacing determining the resolution of the data.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Tarantola</span>

Albert Tarantola, was a Spanish-born physicist of the University of Paris and the Institut de Physique du Globe (IPGP), and author of the book Probabilistic Formulation of Inverse Problems. Tarantola was the leader of the Geophysical Tomography Group, that during the years 1985—2000 developed methods for the interpretation of seismic waveform data. Beyond just this field, he is widely credited with popularizing the idea that inverse problems can be interpreted in a statistical sense, yielding the Bayesian perspective of inverse problems. Apart from his scientific research, Tarantola taught both at IPGP and at other universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geophysical imaging</span>

Geophysical imaging is a minimally destructive geophysical technique that investigates the subsurface of a terrestrial planet. Geophysical imaging is a noninvasive imaging technique with a high parametrical and spatio-temporal resolution. It can be used to model a surface or object understudy in 2D or 3D as well as monitor changes.

Transient electromagnetics,, is a geophysical exploration technique in which electric and magnetic fields are induced by transient pulses of electric current and the subsequent decay response measured. TEM / TDEM methods are generally able to determine subsurface electrical properties, but are also sensitive to subsurface magnetic properties in applications like UXO detection and characterization. TEM/TDEM surveys are a very common surface EM technique for mineral exploration, groundwater exploration, and for environmental mapping, used throughout the world in both onshore and offshore applications.

Induced polarization (IP) is a geophysical imaging technique used to identify the electrical chargeability of subsurface materials, such as ore.

Seismic migration is the process by which seismic events are geometrically re-located in either space or time to the location the event occurred in the subsurface rather than the location that it was recorded at the surface, thereby creating a more accurate image of the subsurface. This process is necessary to overcome the limitations of geophysical methods imposed by areas of complex geology, such as: faults, salt bodies, folding, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seismic interferometry</span>

Interferometry examines the general interference phenomena between pairs of signals in order to gain useful information about the subsurface. Seismic interferometry (SI) utilizes the crosscorrelation of signal pairs to reconstruct the impulse response of a given media. Papers by Keiiti Aki (1957), Géza Kunetz, and Jon Claerbout (1968) helped develop the technique for seismic applications and provided the framework upon which modern theory is based.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface wave inversion</span>

Seismic inversion involves the set of methods which seismologists use to infer properties through physical measurements. Surface-wave inversion is the method by which elastic properties, density, and thickness of layers in the subsurface are obtained through analysis of surface-wave dispersion. The entire inversion process requires the gathering of seismic data, the creation of dispersion curves, and finally the inference of subsurface properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Near-surface geophysics</span> Geophysics of first tens of meters below surface

Near-surface geophysics is the use of geophysical methods to investigate small-scale features in the shallow subsurface. It is closely related to applied geophysics or exploration geophysics. Methods used include seismic refraction and reflection, gravity, magnetic, electric, and electromagnetic methods. Many of these methods were developed for oil and mineral exploration but are now used for a great variety of applications, including archaeology, environmental science, forensic science, military intelligence, geotechnical investigation, treasure hunting, and hydrogeology. In addition to the practical applications, near-surface geophysics includes the study of biogeochemical cycles.

Vijay Prasad Dimri is an Indian geophysical scientist, known for his contributions in opening up a new research area in Earth sciences by establishing a parallelism between deconvolution and inversion, the two vital geophysical signal processing tools deployed in minerals and oil and gas exploration. In 2010, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of science and technology.

EMIGMA is a geophysics interpretation software platform developed by Petros Eikon Incorporated for data processing, simulation, inversion and imaging as well as other associated tasks. The software focuses on non-seismic applications and operates only on the Windows operating system. It supports files standard to the industry, instrument native formats as well as files used by other software in the industry such as AutoCAD, Google Earth and Oasis montaj. There is a free version of EMIGMA called EMIGMA Basic developed to allow viewing of databases created by licensed users. It does not allow data simulation nor modeling nor data import. The software is utilized by geoscientists for exploration and delineating purposes in mining, oil and gas and groundwater as well as hydrologists, environmental engineers, archaeologists and academic institutions for research purposes. Principal contributors to the software are R. W. Groom, H. Wu, E. Vassilenko, R. Jia, C. Ottay and C. Alvarez.

Alexander Peter Annan is an engineer whose research focuses on near-surface geophysics. He has made significant contributions to the development of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology. Annan is the CEO of Sensors & Software, a company he founded to commercialize GPR technology. He has been working on the development of GPR since the 1970s and was one of the lead researchers on the surface electrical properties experiment conducted on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "MICHAEL S ZHDANOV - Home - Faculty Profile - The University of Utah". faculty.utah.edu.
  2. 1 2 "CEMI People". www.cemi.utah.edu.
  3. 1 2 "Michael S. Zhdanov". scholar.google.com.
  4. 1 2 "Michael S. Zhdanov, PhD, Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who". 24-7 Press Release Newswire.
  5. 1 2 "Member Profile | PIERS". piers.org.
  6. 1 2 "2013 Honors and Awards citations". The Leading Edge. 33 (1): 14–32. January 14, 2014. Bibcode:2014LeaEd..33...14.. doi:10.1190/tle33010014.1 – via CrossRef.
  7. ↑ "Prof. Dr. Michael S. Zhdanov Appointed Editor-in-Chief of the New Section "Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications" in Minerals". www.mdpi.com.
  8. ↑ "Committees - EAGE NearSurface 2024". February 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ "About TI – TechnoImaging".
  10. ↑ "Chooser". chooser.crossref.org. doi:10.1190/1.1512749.
  11. ↑ "Chooser". chooser.crossref.org. doi:10.1190/1.1444596.
  12. ↑ "Chooser". chooser.crossref.org. doi:10.1190/1.1778236.
  13. ↑ Zhdanov, Michael S.; Gribenko, Alexander; Wilson, Glenn (May 14, 2012). "Generalized joint inversion of multimodal geophysical data using Gramian constraints". Geophysical Research Letters. 39 (9). Bibcode:2012GeoRL..39.9301Z. doi:10.1029/2012GL051233 – via CrossRef.
  14. ↑ "Methods of multinary inversion for imaging objects with discrete physical properties".
  15. ↑ "Method of subsurface imaging using superposition of sensor sensitivities from geophysical data acquisition systems".
  16. ↑ "Method of terrain correction for potential field geophysical survey data".
  17. ↑ "Method of simultaneous imaging of different physical properties using joint inversion of multiple datasets".
  18. ↑ "Chooser". chooser.crossref.org. doi:10.1190/1.2358403.
  19. ↑ "Chooser". chooser.crossref.org. doi:10.1190/1.2435712.
  20. ↑ Zhdanov, Michael; Cai, Hongzhu (March 14, 2016). "Redatuming controlled-source electromagnetic data using Stratton–Chu type integral transformations". Journal of Applied Geophysics. 126: 1–12. Bibcode:2016JAG...126....1Z. doi:10.1016/j.jappgeo.2016.01.003.
  21. ↑ Cox, Leif H.; Zhdanov, Michael S.; Pitcher, Douglas H.; Niemi, Jeremy (June 14, 2023). "Three-Dimensional Inversion of Induced Polarization Effects in Airborne Time Domain Electromagnetic Data Using the GEMTIP Model". Minerals. 13 (6): 779. Bibcode:2023Mine...13..779C. doi: 10.3390/min13060779 .
  22. ↑ "Chooser". chooser.crossref.org. doi:10.1190/1.2973462.
  23. ↑ "Method of real time subsurface imaging using electromagnetic data acquired from moving platforms".
  24. ↑ "Systems and methods for remote electromagnetic exploration for mineral and energy resources using stationary long-range transmitters".
  25. ↑ "Methods of electromagnetic migration imaging of geologic formation".
  26. ↑ "Systems and methods for remote electromagnetic exploration for mineral and energy resources".
  27. ↑ "Method and apparatus for gradient electromagnetic induction well logging".
  28. ↑ "Geophysical technique for mineral exploration and discrimination based on electromagnetic methods and associated systems".
  29. ↑ "Method of broad band electromagnetic holographic imaging".
  30. ↑ "ScholarGPS–Michael S. Zhdanov".
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