Integration of Geophysical Data for Basin Analysis

Integration of geophysical data with geological, geothermal, and geohydrological data is essential in basin analysis. Spatial patterns produced by seismic, gravity, and magnetic data give insight into certain aspects of 'basement' configuration and composition, sediment thickness, and structure where direct measurements are not available. When combined with similar-type data derived from wells (and other sources) such as rock porosity, geothermal gradients and temperature, brine composition, etc., valuable information can be gained on the basin development and evolution through time. In turn, this is important in the location of mineral resources and for environmental considerations. An area in south-central Kansas, Midcontinent, USA is used as an example of one quantitative approach to the integration and comparison of different data sets. The area has a thin sedimentary cover over the Precambrian crystalline basement. Published data on aeromagnetics and gravity, geothermal properties, and sediment thickness and structure were used. The variables were digitized and standardized prior to the analysis. A pairwise comparison was made to determine statistically the relation between the data sets, then those data sets considered relevant were weighted and combined into resultant maps.