Subsurface Cavity Detection by Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) And Seismic Refraction

Andri Yadi Paembonan*1, Rungroj Arjwech1

Department of Geotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University
ABSTRACT
Many serious hazards to human safety can be posed by near-surface cavities, especially in highly urbanized town centres. An area which
contains various types of karstic limestone, sinkholes, solution cavities and natural voids also causes severe problems for civil engineering and
environmental management. Geophysical method, particularly electrical resistivity technique, was used as a cost-effective solution for
investigating subsurface caves, voids, and shallow weathered zones. Meanwhile, seismic refraction tomography provides additional information
which is capable of eliminating some potential pitfalls in resistivity data interpretation. Data integration and the insertion of a priori information
are key issues for reducing the uncertainties associated with the inversion process and for optimizing both acquisition procedures and
computation time. Herein, the two geophysical methods are tested on both synthetic and real data, and their results found were successful to
detect cavities and assessed their geometrical characteristics.
Keywords: Cavities, Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) , Seismic Refraction, Synthetic modeling
INTRODUCTION
simplification in the input interface. The interpreter may identify the
Urban development is the main reason to increase construction
resistive body associated with low seismic velocity zones as cavities
that sometimes spreads to unknown cavity areas. The sudden collapse
only. It can reduce the ambiguities by data integration (Cardarelli et
of shallow cavity is a serious hazard for human safety and
al, 2010).
infrastructures. It also causes severe problems for civil engineering
and environmental management (Metwaly and Alfauzan, 2013).
APPLICATION
Underground voids develop naturally in karst topographies while
Metwaly and Alfauzan (2013) found that electrical resistivity
cavities such as tombs or catacombs, underground mines, tunnels,
tomography (ERT) were very useful to determine the extension of
etc., are produced by human activities. In karst areas, many
shallow weathered zones and to locate different cavities underneath
underground cavities are formed because of the dissolution of
them. The hard limestone bedrock can also be detected and traced
limestone by water erosion in the underground. Moreover, increased
along the surveyed profiles.
groundwater usage due to the growing population in the expanding
Park et al (2014) used six boreholes applying poledipole and
residential area causes the water table drops. The cavities become
polepole array configurations. They found that ERT results showed
very weak, leading to the collapse of the cavity roof and the
cavity areas filled with clay or groundwater appeared as lowoverlying rocks, and then the soil falls into the cavities, creating a
resistivity anomalies in the limestone formation. This was
sinkhole that may cause ground subsidence in the area (Park et al,
particularly evident in the inclined vein-type structures attributed to
2014).
fracture zones, where the field data were similar to the modelling
Geophysical methods are commonly used to detect underground
results.
cavities and they can provide useful subsurface information and
Farooq et al (2012) found that inversion of resistivity images
allow large areas to be covered in a short period of the time.
provided a clear view of weathered soils, the distribution of weak
Electrical resistivity is now widely used for underground cavity
areas or karst voids and bedrock. Several low resistivity areas were
detection that is empty, full or partly water-filled or filled with
identified and the subsequent drilling of such anomalous areas led to
different kind of material. Seismic refraction tomography is a
the discovery of several weak zones or clay filled underground
potential tool for cavity detection because of cost-effective for the
cavities. The drilling results had excellent correlation with the
targets (Cardarelli et al, 2010).
resistivity images.
Putiska et al (2012) compared detectability of the cavity with
METHODOLOGY
several types of the electrode arrays. The second part discussed the
A. Synthetic models
effect of a thin layer around the cavity itself, by means of 2D
Both electrical resistivity and seismic refraction was modified in
modelling. From the electrical array analysis for the model situation a
synthetic models. Forward modelling has been used for electrical
dipole-dipole and combined pole-dipole show the best results among
resistivity by using software such as RES2DIMOD (Metwaly and
the other involved electrical arrays.
Alfauzan, 2013, Putiska et al, 2012), and EM2DMODEL (Park et al,
Seismic method and ERT method was tested on both synthetic
2014, Farooq et al, 2012), and synthetic data were also inverted by
and real data, and the integration of the results was found to be
the Versatile algorithm for Electrical Resistivity Data Inversion
successful in detecting isolated cavities and in assessing their
(VERDI) (Cardarelli et al, 2010). It assumes a homogeneous starting
geometrical characteristics. The cavity location inferred by
model having a resistivity computed as the mean of the synthetic
geophysical non-invasive methods has been subsequently confirmed
apparent resistivity values. The synthetic resistivity pseudo section
by direct inspection (Cardarelli et al ,2010).
was obtained by perturbing the theoretical solution of the forward
problem with Gaussian noise. The seismic model is structurally
CONCLUTIONS
similar to the resistivity model inverted by VERDI. A thin surface
The two geophysical methods were tested on both synthetic and
layers are added on the surface to produce a more realistic earth
real data, and they were successful to detect cavities and assessed
model, with heterogeneous surface layers. The synthetic travel-times
their geometrical characteristics. The electrical resistivity tomography
was obtained by adding random Gaussian noise to the noise-free
result attested precise and extremely efficient in delineating the
synthetic travel-times.
karstic cavity investigation and should be taken into account when
B. Electrical Resistivity Tomography
choosing an investigation technique to be used at complex geological
The electrical resistivity tomography technique consists of the
sites. Meanwhile, seismic refraction tomography provides additional
constant direct current imposing into the ground through two current
information which is capable of eliminating some potential pitfalls in
electrodes and the resulting voltage measured at two potential
resistivity data interpretation.
electrodes. Each of the electrodes alternatively acts as current and
potential electrode. The position of current and potential electrodes
REFERENCE
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horizontal resolution (Metwaly and Alfauzan, 2013). This technique
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transmission tomography. Data inversion was performed by the
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the seismic refraction tomography programme is ray tracing that is
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now performed for surface sources and receivers, with a
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