RIVERS STATE UNIVERSITY

P.M.B 5030, NKPOLU OROWORUKWU, PORT HARCOURT

DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY
A STUDENTS’ INDUSTRIAL TRAINING PRESENTATION

On
ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY
TOMOGRAPHY
BY
OPURUM DESTINY SUNNY
DE. 2019/5132

PLACEMENT OF ATTACHMENT :HYDROCARBON POLLUTION

REMEDIATION PROJECT (HYPREP)
 OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
• What is electrical resistivity tomography
• Principle of electrical resistivity tomography
• Equipment used for electrical resistivity (ERT) survey

INVESTIGATION/ASSESSMENT OF HYDROCARBON IMPACTED SITES

• What is an impacted sites
• Types of impacted sites (also known as contaminated land)
• Site characterization and delineation of impacted sites
• How ERT is used to investigate hydrocarbon impacted sites
 INTRODUCTION

Electrical resistivity tomography has been widely used in order to solve environmental and geological problems in the last
decades. The electrical resistivity method survey has undergone dramatic changes over the last two decades. A major
improvement since THE early 1990’s is the development of 2-D imaging surveys that provide a more realistic model of the
subsurface even in complex geologic areas.
Subsurface soil around okansimu community in ogale, eleme Lga was reportedly contaminated by hydrocarbon due to
leakage from petroleum pipeline that supply petroleum products to hydrocarbon terminal located within the area. Thus, to
ascertain the extent of contamination of the subsurface soil around the area an integrated geophysical survey method known
as ERT was carried out. The hydrocarbon contaminated layers were marked out beneath each point by high restivity values
ranging between 943 ohm’s meter and 4749 ohm’s at depth of 1-35.44 below the surface.
 AIM
The aim of this presentation is to know how electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as a
geophysical method is been used to investigate Hydrocarbon impacted sites.

OBJECTIVE
• ERT helps for detection of different types of subsurface.
• ERT also helps to know the resitivity value of different materials of the subsurface of the ground
 WHAT IS ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY
TOMOGRAPHY

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a near - surface geophysical tool for ground
investigations that help to reveal ground features and map the soil.
 MECHANISM OF (ERT) OPERATION

ERT survey determine electrical resistivity using four electrodes, which are the current electrode
(c1&c2) and potential electrode (p1&p2). The current electrodes introduce direct current while the
potential electrodes are inserted in the ground between the current electrode to measure potential
difference. The penetration of the current increases with the increase in separation between the
current electrode.
 EQUIPMENT USED IN (ERT) SURVEY

• Terrameter
• Electrodes
• Reels of wire
• Electrode clips
• Measuring tape
• Hammer
• GPS device
 WHAT IS AN IMPACTED SITE
(CONTAMINATED LAND)

An impacted site is usually a land or body of water where hazardous substances occur at
concentrations above background levels and where assessment indicates it poses or is likely to pose
an immediate or long-term hazard to human health or the environment.
 TYPES OF IMPACTED SITES ALSO KNOWN AS
CONTAMINATED LAND

These are harmful substance that causes a site to be impacted or contaminated

• PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS SITES : These are sites that have presence of petroleum
hydrocarbon on subsurface of the soil which is usually brought by leakage or vandalization of pipelines and
oil well
• HEAVY METAL SITES :These are sites that have presence of heavy metals such as lead, nickel, copper
and mercury which comes from industrial product which then now affect the soil, air and water bodies.
 SITE CHARACTERIZATION AND
DELINEATION OF IMPACTED SITES

Site characterization and delineation of impacted sites is an activity that is carried out on site to
determine specific geologic and hydrologic characteristics of the sites and also determine the extent
of contaminations which defines the contaminant pathway and receptor . This activity is conducted
in line with HYPREP sop on site assessment.

Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) on-going

in the site characterization at Okansimu, Ogale,
Eleme L.G.A.
 HOW ERT IS USED TO INVESTIGATE
HYDROCARBON IMPACTED SITES

This done by using electrical current that is injected into the ground through short steel (electrodes)
distributed along a straight line, and the resistance values between the injection points are
measured. When processed, a 2-D Resitivity profile of the ground is derived and displayed
graphical on the Tomogram. This then now gives guide to the positioning of the auger points and
borehole wells.
 REFERENCE

Paresins, D.S (1962).PRINCIPLES of Applied Geophysics.

Keller, G. V., & Frischknecht, F.C (1966). Electrical Methods in Geophysical Prospecting
oxford Pergamon Press inc.
Paul T. Kostecki et al. Petroleum Contaminated Soil: Remediation Techniques, Environmental Fate
and Risk Assessment.