Application of an improved calibration flight scheme in aeromagnetic interference compensation

In aeromagnetic measurement, accurate compensation for the interference magnetic field generated by the aircraft platform due to the aircraft maneuvering in the Earth’s magnetic field is an important prerequisite for the accurate indentification of the magnetic anomaly signal of the detection target. The flaws of the traditional calibration flight scheme in aeromagnetic interference compensation are firstly analyzed, and then an improved scheme is proposed, featuring smaller calibration flight areas, more simplified maneuvers, shorter flight route and less influence from the magnetometer’s direction. The improved scheme can enhance the robustness of the aeromagnetic interference compensation matrix, and improve the compensation efficiency, and thus both the solved magnetic compensation coefficients and compensation effects are significantly improved. The experimental results of aeromagnetic interference compensation in an area of Inner Mongolia of China show that the average accuracy of the repeated survey lines, which are compensated by the improved scheme, can be increased by 5 nT and 3 nT, respectively, compared with the uncompensated results and the results compensated by the traditional scheme. Therefore, the effectiveness and superiority of the improved calibration flight scheme is fully proved.