Ergodic geophysical survey design and its application in exploration decision making

High costs associated with collecting geophysical data can hinder the effective application of geophysical methods in many energy transition areas such as geologic hydrogen exploration, mineral exploration, and carbon storage monitoring. To over-come this challenge, a potential pathway forward is by lever-aging innovative strategies that enhance the efficiency of geophysical data collection. Demonstrations through ergodic sampling simulations and field data examples indicate the significant potential in cost reduction up to a factor of 10. In this paper, we delve deeper into various facets of ergodic sampling, examining the impact of variables such as the number of samples which relates to acquisition costs and the signal bandwidth depending upon the geologic complexity. We further explore the strategies to optimize ergodic sampling’s effectiveness in survey design for decision-making processes.