A least-squares approach to depth determination from gravity data

The present paper deals with a numerical approach to determine the depth of a buried structure from the residual anomaly. The problem of depth determination has been transformed into the problem of finding a solution of a nonlinear equation of the form f(z) = 0. Formulas have been derived for a sphere, vertical and horizontal cylinders, and for a vertical fault (thin plate approximation). The procedure is applied to synthetic data with and without random errors. Finally, a field example is presented in which the depth to a fault is estimated at 3.8 km and verified from drilling results.--Modified journal abstract.