Studying the Impact of Feature Saliency for Geoscientific Target Detection Using Electroencephalography (EEG)

Accuracy and efficiency in geoscientific data interpretation is critically important for the resource industry, as based on these interpretations, significant financial decisions are made for exploration and extraction of resources. This study aims to understand image characteristics that impact interpreters´ ability to detect geological targets within magnetic geophysics images. We use the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) approach to profile interpreter´s neurological responses to geophysical target images using electroencephalography (EEG). These results are compared with image saliency analysis outputs, specifically the spatial distribution of visual attention peaks. Our experimental results showed that images with a wider dispersion of saliency lead to a lower rate of target detection based on EEG activities of interpreters.