Characterization of the Houze-Vali iron ore in the centre of Iran using magnetic gradient tensor data

This paper presents a case study on the use of Normalized Source Strength (NSS) to interpret magnetic gradient tensor data. This application was made to explore an iron ore deposit in the Houze-Vali area, located near Ardakan City in the centre of Iran. The source location was estimated by using Euler deconvolution of Total Magnetic Intensity and NSS data, after an upward continuation of 15 m. In general, the NSS is relatively insensitive to the magnetization direction, but it provides more reliable information in comparison with compared to the 3D analytic signal technique. According to the NSS results, the source can be approximated by an N60°W striking contact with its top at a depth of 102 m, which is consistent with the sampling results.