College of Geo-Exploration Science and Techonology, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China

Edge detection is a commonly requested task in the interpretation of potential field data. Different methods have different results for varied depths and shapes of geological bodies. In this paper, we propose using the combination of structure tensor and tilt angle to detect the edges of the sources, which can display the edges of shallow and deep bodies simultaneously. Through tests on synthetic potential field data, it is obvious that the proposed edge detection methods can display the sources edges more clearly and precisely, compared with other commonly used methods. The application on real potential field data shows similar result, obtaining the edges of layers and faults clearly. In addition, another advantage of the new method is its insensitivity to noise.