Every kind of mineral exhibits a unique magnetic susceptibility. This means different geological units below the ground can cause local disturbances within the magnetic field. A magnetometer measures these magnetic disturbances, also known as magnetic anomalies. The processing of magnetic variations allows these magnetic anomalies to be better visualized and georeferenced.

Magnetometers used in geophysical surveys may use a single sensor to measure the total magnetic field strength or may use two spatially separated sensors to measure the gradient of the magnetic field or the difference between the sensors. As the distance between the source and sensor increases, the resolution drops as the shorter wavelengths are lost. Therefore, depending on the target, ground based systems are more advantageous.

CXS employs the Gem Systems GSM-19 Overhauser magnetometer. The GSM-19 is capable of stop and go along with Walking Mag mode and GPS integration. This results in GPS georeferenced ground magnetic readings to better locate the anomaly spatially. CXS offers ground magnetic survey options on either a cut grid or virtual grid using GPS technology.