Magnetic induction tomography (MIT) Magnetic induction tomography is an imaging meth...

Magnetic induction tomography (MIT) Magnetic induction tomography is an imaging method used in mineral, natural gas, oil, and groundwater exploration; as an archaeological tool; and for medical imaging. MIT has also been used to measure topsoil depth in agricultural soils. Topsoil depth is information that many farmers need: for instance, corn yield is much higher in soil that has a deep topsoil layer above the underlying, impermeable claypan. Using a trailer attached to a tractor, a farmer can map an 80,000-m2 (about 20-acre) field for topsoil depth in about 1 hour. Figure 18.20 shows how MIT works. A time-varying electric current in a source coil (Figure 18.20a) induces a changing magnetic field that passes into the region to be imaged—in this case, the soil (Figure 18.20b). This changing magnetic field induces a weak induced electric current in topsoil and a stronger induced current in the more conductive claypan soil at the same depth. (Figure 18.20c; the current direction here is drawn as though the source current and source fields are increasing). This changing induced electric current in turn produces its own induced magnetic field (Figure 18.20d). The induced magnetic field passes out of the region being mapped to a detector coil (Figure 18.20e) near the source coil. The nature of the signal at the detector (its magnitude and phase) provides information about the region being mapped. A strong signal returned to the detector coil indicates a claypan layer near the surface; a weak signal returns if the clay layer is deeper below the surface.

Why is MIT used to search noninvasively for mineral deposits (iron, copper, zinc)?

(a) The minerals are good conductors of electricity and produce strong induced currents and strong returning magnetic fields.

(b) The minerals absorb the incident magnetic field indicating their presence by a lack of returning signal.

(c) The minerals produce their own returning magnetic fields.

(d) The minerals attract the incoming magnetic field and reflect it directly above the minerals.