USGS Aeromagnetic Survey

The USGS warns us that there will soon be a lot of helicopter overflights of Santa Fe, in aid of the NM OSE/ISC, Santa Fe County, and US Geological Survey aeromagnetic survey commencing next week. Its purpose is to better understand the underground geology that influences the groundwater system.
       "HELICOPTER AEROMAGNETIC SURVEY IN THE VICINITY OF SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
"In conjunction with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer/Interstate Stream Commission (OSE/ISC) and Santa Fe County, the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) has contracted Geophex, Inc. to conduct low-level research flights by helicopter over the city of Santa Fe and vicinity. The survey area is a 5-mile-wide strip from the northeastern part of Eldorado on the south to Chimayo on the north, including downtown Santa Fe and parts of Tesuque and Nambe Pueblos. Operations will begin December 1. The research flights are part of airborne geophysical surveys conducted in order to understand the underground geology that influences the groundwater system.
       "...The flights are low-level in order to detect the effects of naturally occurring magnetic minerals located just below the surface and deep underground. The distributions of these minerals give clues to the unseen geology below.
       "The helicopter survey will expand the existing coverage of data that were collected by fixed-wing aircraft in 1998 over most of the southern Española basin. Data from the previous study helped geologists and hydrogeologists understand faults, basement structures, the thickness of aquifer units, and the extent of basalts in the subsurface as part of investigations into the ground-water system. The technical results are presented in a USGS report, available at the link given below. The goal of the upcoming 2005 survey is to cover the narrow strip of the basin near the mountain front that could not be accomplished with fixed-wing aircraft in 1998. Unlike fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter can easily maintain low elevations near high terrain. Preliminary results will be presented at the 5th Annual Española basin workshop March 7-8, 2006, hosted by the Española Basin Technical Advisory Group (EBTAG).
       "LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION:
Detailed location of the 2005 aeromagnetic survey:
http://crustal.usgs.gov/projects/rgb/images/SFEsurvey.jpg
USGS report on the 1998 aeromagnetic survey:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/ofr-03-124/
USGS geophysics in the Española basin:
http://crustal.usgs.gov/projects/rgb/espbasin.html
EBTAG and workshop:
http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/ebtag/"