Electromagnetic measurements of the Earth’s crust in Alaska

A scientist and the helicopter pilot work together to install geophysical instrumentation in a remote region west of the Neacola Mountains, south-central Alaska. An array of cables were buried in shallow trenches for up to 48 hours to measure the electrical conductivity of the bedrock at that location. The findings were used to construct two- and three-dimensional models of the Earth’s crust to depths of approximately 15-20 kilometers, which help geologists understand and predict the relationship between the bedrock geologic framework and the formation of mineral resources in active plate tectonic settings such as southern Alaska.