2.5D electromagnetic (EM) modelling computes the response of a 3D source from an arbitrary 2D geoelectrical model. As such, it is practical for airborne EM (AEM) data to be inverted using 2.5D modelling provided that the geoelectrical crosssection is relatively constant along a strike length that exceeds the AEM system footprint. The program ArjunAir is introduced for modelling and inversion based on a 2D finite-element method that enables the accurate simulation of 3D source excitation for full domain models inclusive of topography, non-conforming boundaries, and very high resistivity contrasts. Inversion is based on an iterative Gauss-Newton method that is solved using the damped eigenparameter algorithm. Examples are presented for synthetic and practical frequency and time-domain AEM surveys for which inversion run-times are on the order of hours.Witherly, K. E., I~i n e . R. J., and Raiche A., 2003, The application of airborne Zhdanov, M.S.. and Tartaras, E., 2002, Inversion of multi-transmitter 3D electrornagnetics to the search for high conductance targets: 16Ih Geophj~sical electromagnetic data based on the localized quasi-linear approximation:
Confemnce and Exhihition, Australian Sociey of Explorution Geophysicists,Geophysical Journal Internatio~l, 148,506-5 19.
Expanded Abstracts.Zhdanov, M.S., and Chernyavskiy, A,, 2004, Rapid three-dimensional inversion of multi-transmitter electromagnetic data using the spectral Lanczos decomposition method: Inverse Pmhlems, 20, S233-S256.