GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS IN

CHARACTERIZING GROUNDWATER
SYSTEMS FOR WATER SUPPLY AND
WELL DESIGN

Miriam Rios-Sánchez
 Lecture 1.
GEOELECTRICAL TECHNIQUES
• Objectives:
At the end of this class the student would be
– To understand and use the concept of apparent
resistivity
– To understand the process of interpretation of VES
– To make some hydrogeological correlations of
geo-electrical surveys
 GEOPHYSICS AND HYDROGEOLOGY

• Geophysical methods may be used to determine

indirectly the extent and nature of the geologic
materials beneath the surface.
• Thickness of unconsolidated surficial materials
• Depth of the water table
• Location of subsurface faults
• Depth of the basement rocks
• In some instances, the location, thickness, and
extent of subsurface bodies, such as gravel
deposits or clay layers, can be also evaluated.
 Dynamic techniques
a. Geoelectrical

b. Electro magnetic

c. Seismic
SURFACE GEO-ELECTRICAL TECHNIQUES

• Working principle
Basic principles
Variable electrode distance techniques
Apparent Resistivity
Variable electrode distance technique
TWO LAYERS MODELS
THREE LAYERS MODELS
THREE LAYERS MODELS
FOUR LAYERS MODELS
 Dipole – Dipole array

http://epsc.wustl.edu/~epsc454/Phillips/lecture_phillips_resistivity.pdf
 Correlation of resistivity values and
hydrogeologic layers

LAYER Resistivity Depth Thickness

1 8 8 8

2 98 200 192

3 9

1. Interpretation of VES
Correlation of resistivity values and
hydrogeologic layers

Pore water resistivities: 20 hm/m = 1/20

 Correlation of resistivity values and
hydrogeologic layers
Lithology Formation
Factor
Gravel 7.5
Coarse sand 6.0
and gravel
Coarse sand 5.0
Medium 4.2
sand
Fine sand 3.5
Clayed sand < 2.5
 Areas for drilling

Aquifer thickness

Aquifer Resistivity
 GEOLECTRICAL METHODS FOR EXPLORATION OF
FAULTS AND FRACTURES ZONES

Resistivity (Ohm.m)

1000

100

(m)
50 100

Fracture zone
From: Kirsh, 2006
 Electrical arrays to use
• Square array configuration: It is sensitivity to
anisotropy
• 2-D Electrical mapping (pseudo sections)
 EXCERCISE
• Interpret 10 VES by using appropiate software
• Make a map of the distribution of the
electrical conductivity for one of the electrical
layers
• Make the hydrogeological correlation of the
resistivity values (providing lithological logs of
the same area and electrical conductivity
values of water)