A collocation method to fit geophysical survey data

A self adaptive collocation method has been applied to the quantitative interpretation of geophysical survey data. Examples of interpretation of vertical electrical soundings (VES) and magneto-telluric soundings (MTS) have been chosen for this work due to the high nonlinearity of the response functions and to the high degree of correlation of the parameters involved. In both cases horizontally isotropic multi-layered models have been adopted.For comparison two different computing algorithms have been considered. In the first, using a generalized inverse formulation a new different decomposition into characteristic values has been used. In the second the Marquardt procedure has been modified in an original way to give a faster convergence using a strategy based on the contemporary adjustment of the step length and the direction of the regression. The confidence limits of the results have been evaluated.Results are given for interpretation of both MTS and VES curves using the two different algorithms. Model data and field data have been considered for an effective comparison of speed of convergence and accuracy.