Geoelectrics - Tomography (surface based)

Method Type:
Electrical Methods
Assigned Problems:
+
Aquifer pollution
Groundwater
+
Cavity detection
Civil Engineering
+
Contaminant plumes
Hazardous Waste
+
Depth of Overburden-bedrock interface
Civil Engineering
+
Foundations of ancient structures
Buildings and Structures
+
Fractures
Groundwater
+
Gravel, clay, limestone, salt exploration
Natural Resources
+
Groundwater table
Groundwater
+
Host sediments, hydogeological settings
Hazardous Waste
+
Landslides
Natural Hazards
+
Location of Ancient Structures
Cultural Heritage
+
Location of buried materials
Hazardous Waste
+
Monitoring
Hazardous Waste
+
Permafrost and ice detection
Natural Hazards
+
Quality / Thickness of aquifer/aquitard
Groundwater
+
Quality and thickness (Natural resources)
Natural Resources
+
Quantity/ Thickness
Hazardous Waste
+
Soil / rock quality
Civil Engineering
+
Temporal variations
Groundwater
0
Characteristics of hazardous waste
Hazardous Waste
0
Ice thickness
Natural Hazards
0
Porosity / Permeability
Groundwater
0
Quality / Thickness of concrete
Buildings and Structures
'+' = Technique applicable; '0' = Application possible/limited use.

Principle:
The purpose of geoelectric surveying is to determine the lateral and vertical subsurface resistivity
distribution.
Keywords:
Surface based tomography; 2-D and 3-D electrical survey; tomographic inversion; resistivity
contrast; resistivity distribution; tomogram
Prerequisites:
- Target must be characterized by a resistivity contrast
- Buried wires, metal pipes, metal fences may influence measurements
- Urban areas may cause high noise levels (e.g. stray currents)
- Measurements during rain should be avoided
- A thin high-/low resistivity top layer may obscure deeper targets
- In some areas electrode coupling may be poor (e.g., asphalt, gravel, dry sand)
- Topography / surface dips > 10 may require topographic corrections
Resolution:
Main factors that control resolution of tomograms include resistivity contrasts, signal-to-noise ratio,
and electrode configurations employed. Horizontal resolution is at best of the order of the
electrode spacing. Vertical resolution depends on the array type chosen.
Typical values of vertical resolution are (Depth range / Target thickness): 0 - 10 m / 1 m to several
m; 10 - 50 m / several m to 10 m; > 50 m / several tens of m or more
Expected Results:

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- Measured parameter: voltages [mV]. Depending on electrode configurations and currents

injected, values may range from a hundred V to several V.
- Data analysis: tomographic inversion of voltages. Resulting tomograms show 2D resistivity
distributions along profiles or between boreholes. Pitfalls: Non-uniqueness problem: many
underground models may predict observed data equally well.
- Interpretation: individual resistivities are related to different geological units and water content.
Additional geological or geophysical surface data may be required for reliable interpretation. A
priori information (layer thickness and / or resistivity values) are helpful to constrain the models.
Combination with other Methods:
- Required additional information: geological information for reliable interpretation
- Related add-on information: electromagnetic data
- Independent additional information: georadar data
; seismics data
Operation Expense:
- Crew size: 1 key person, 1-2 assistants
- Acquisition speed: around 1500 - 5000 measuring points (or 250 - 500 m profile length) per day
- Processing: Requires 1 - 2 days per acquisition day
- Equipment rental costs: intermediate (requires multi-electrode system)
Parameters to specify:
- Array type: Wenner, dipole-dipole or Schlumberger type configurations are typically employed
for tomographic inversions.
- Array orientation: Should be perpendicular to the strike for a maximum response of geological
structures (if only measured along profiles).
- Electrode spacing: Usually between 1 and 10 m.
- Data should be acquired with a multi-electrode system, which allows large amounts of data to
be collected efficiently.
QC Documents:
- Documentation of accuracy of transmitted currents.
- Measurements of natural potentials and transition resistances between electrodes and ground.
- Measurements of natural potentials and transition resistances between electrodes and ground.
- Measurements of reproducibility (measurements of reciprocal or redundant configurations).
- Sensitivity matrices, resolution matrices.
- Documentation of accuracy of transmitted currents.
- Optional: Map of buried cables.
Products:
- Tomogram (2-D Resistivity-depth slice along a profile or 3-D resistivity bodies)
- Interpretation

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