Method and apparatus for recording position of sensor in airborne magnetic surveying
First Claim
1. A system for measuring magnetic fields from an airplane, comprising:
- a first and a second bird;
a high drag cable and a low drag cable by means of which said first and second birds are towed respectively from said airplane so that said first bird is at a higher altitude than said second bird;
separate magnetometer sensing means carried respectively by said first and second birds for measuring at a predetermined rate the magnetic fields at said first and second birds;
means for comparing the fields measured by said respective magnetometer sensing means;
camera means carried by said first bird to photograph the earth therebeneath in synchronism with the magnetic field measuring rate; and
means carried by said first bird upon which said camera is mounted for maintaining said camera at a constant downward orientation, whereby the position of said first bird can be accurately recorded.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for recording the position of a sensor to reduce turbulence errors in airborne magnetic surveying includes, in one embodiment a camera mounted on a gyrostabilized platform to maintain it at a constant downward orientation from a bird towed from an airplane. The bird, in addition to the platform and camera, carries a magnetometer sensor which measures the magnetic field at the bird at a predetermined rate. The camera is actuated at the times the magnetic field is measured, whereby the position of the magnetometer can be precisely located for each measurement taken. In another embodiment, two birds towed from an airplane each carries a magnetometer sensor. The two birds are towed at different altitudes, one above the other, and a camera is carried by the bird at the higher altitude to photograph the bird at the lower altitude and the earth to precisely record the relative locations of the birds with respect to each other and the earth when the magnetic measurements are made. A barometer transducer is carried by at least one of the birds to precisely measure the height of the birds with respect to each other and the earth.
42 Citations
1 Claim
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1. A system for measuring magnetic fields from an airplane, comprising:
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a first and a second bird; a high drag cable and a low drag cable by means of which said first and second birds are towed respectively from said airplane so that said first bird is at a higher altitude than said second bird; separate magnetometer sensing means carried respectively by said first and second birds for measuring at a predetermined rate the magnetic fields at said first and second birds; means for comparing the fields measured by said respective magnetometer sensing means; camera means carried by said first bird to photograph the earth therebeneath in synchronism with the magnetic field measuring rate; and means carried by said first bird upon which said camera is mounted for maintaining said camera at a constant downward orientation, whereby the position of said first bird can be accurately recorded.
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeAtlantic Richfield Company Incorporated (BP PLC)
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Original AssigneeAtlantic Richfield Company Incorporated (BP PLC)
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InventorsHearn, Daniel P.
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Primary Examiner(s)Strecker, Gerard R.
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Application NumberUS05/351,177Time in Patent Office1,226 DaysField of Search324/4, 324/43, 324/.5 G, 324/.5 R, 95/12.5US Class Current324/331CPC Class CodesG01V 3/165 operating with magnetic or ...
