Zone of main contribution to the measured signal for a circular current loop source and receiver on the surface of a conductive half-space

ABSTRACT The electric and magnetic fields generated by an individual horizontal current ring induced inside a homogeneous conductive half‐space, originating from an external large circular loop source of current in the presence of a flat half‐space, are deduced. A check of self‐consistency for these expressions led to the known general functions for these fields due to the same external source in the presence of that medium. The current rings’ mutual coupling related to the magnetic field's radial component is thoroughly analysed and its specific members are presented. The existence of a relatively small zone inside the half‐space responsible for the main contribution for the signal measured at the observation point, with the source and receiver on the ground surface, is made evident. For increasing values of frequency, at a given transmitter‐receiver (T–R) configuration, this zone shrinks and its central point moves away from a maximum depth of about 30% and horizontal distance of nearly 85%, of the T–R separation, to a point very close to the receiver position. The coordinates of the central point of this zone of main contribution are provided as approximated functions in terms of the induction number .