ApSoft 2.0

Over the past 25 years, APmag and APradar software packages have been developed by ZAMG ArcheoProspections for the processing of manually collected prospection data.

These have been provided to the LBI ArchPro for further development (APsoft 2.0). Parallel to the development of the motorized multichannel magnetometer and GPR array systems, these software packages have been extended in order to incorporate the functionality to process data recorded along random paths based on RTK-GPS or robotic total station position data. Routines for import of the multichannel data in xml-format have been adapted. Smart data interpolation routines were implemented. Advanced spatial data processing algorithms required for the removal of, for example, directional effects in the magnetic data or disturbances caused by the tow vehicle have been developed. In particular, the development of exact data positioning algorithms based on time-stamps provided by the GPS have been fundamental for the generation of high quality images of the high-definition data sampled at great speed. The magnetic processing software was updated to support caesium data and to synchronise several Picodas caesium systems. For the manually operated caesium system, the software was upgraded to support total station positioning. The radar processing software was upgraded by implementing a 5-point depth dependent velocity model for depth-slice calculation and by supporting this velocity model by the 2D and 3D migration algorithms. The migration algorithms also were upgraded to support a depth dependent width of the migration window.

A new algorithm was developed for resampling the time-triggered GPR data to data with (optimal) constant trace distances. A Wallis-filter algorithm was implemented for GPR depth-slice data to enhance areas with strong energy absorption. An algorithm was implemented to reduce the influence of signal variations due to variations of antenna coupling on rough ground. Several algorithms were time optimized and extended to handle 3D GPR-fields larger than 2 GBytes. A first trial was implemented to detect geological layers in GPR data. The software was upgraded to permit the MIRA system to collect data in long loops without stopping, instead of measuring lines in zigzag mode. The output of georeferenced images and shape files showing data coverage and the location of positioning data have been of great use.

APsoft 2.0 is based on the highly developed APmag and APradar software packages. The goal is to integrate the existing processing software into an easy-to-use program for the processing of magnetic and radar prospection data. The software will support three different predefined processing modes (raw, standard, and enhanced) as well as an expert mode for the individual setting of all parameters and parallel processing. The three predefined modes serve different purposes: ‘raw’ for quick data quality control, ‘standard’ for a quick first standardized processing of the data, and ‘enhanced’ to produce the best results even if the processing becomes more time consuming.