A surface‐towed vector magnetometer

We have tested the feasibility of using a commercial motion sensor as a vector magnetometer that can be towed at normal survey speeds behind a research vessel. In contrast to previous studies using a shipboard mounted vector magnetometer, the towed system is essentially unaffected by the magnetization of the towing vessel. Results from a test deployment compare favorably with an earlier vector aeromagnetic survey, indicating that the towed instrument can resolve horizontal and vertical anomalies with amplitudes >30–50 nT. This instrument should be particularly useful in equatorial regions, where the vector anomalies are substantially greater than the corresponding total field anomalies.