Electrical Resistivity

• R = A/L V/I
• R = resistivity
• A = cross-sectional area of current flow
• L = length of the flow path
 V = voltage drop
• I = electrical current
 Resistivity
• Dry materials • Wet materials
• Gravel • Silt or clay
• Salt water • Fresh water
 R = 2a V/I Wenner array
a a a

R = [(AB/2)2-(MN/2)2]/MN V/I Schlumberger

array

Dipole-dipole
R = n(n+1)(n+2)a V/I array
 Resistivity Surveys
• Electrical sounding – variations of apparent
resistivity with depth.
• Horizontal profiling – lateral variations in
resistivity.
Higher level
Of dissolved
solids
 Methods
• Seismic • Seismic velocities
• Gravity • Density variation
• Aeromagnetic • Magnetic fields
• Magnetometer • Magnetic fields
 Seismic Methods
• Seismic velocities.
Magnetometer Surveys and GPR
• Magnetic field – especially useful for metal
detection.
• Ground-penetrating radar – electromagnetic
field.
 Gravity and Aeromagnetic
Methods
• Aeromagnetic surveys measure magnetic
anomalies which would be distorted by
magnetic materials in the crust – useful in
indicating the depth to magnetic basement
rocks.
• Gravity surveys measure gravity anomalies
– reflections of mass distribution in the
crust.
 Geophysical Logs
• Caliper – measure the diameter of an uncased
borehole in bedrock units.
• Temperature – temperature of the fluid.
• Resistance
• Resistivity
• Spontaneous potential – natural electrical potential
that develops between the formation and the
borehole fluids – determination of bed thickness,
geologic correlation, delineation of permeable
rocks.
Sandstone, clay
 Nuclear Loggings
Natural Gamma Radiation – emission of gamma activity
by K40, U238, Th232
Neutron logging – measure gamma radiation produced
by neutron-hydrogen atom collision - Hydrogen is
related to water content – soil moisture or porosity
below water table.
Gamma-Gamma radiation – gamma radiation produced
by a source, such as cobalt 60, is absorbed or
scattered by the materials in contact with the source.
The adsorption is proportional to the bulk density of
the earth material.
Near borehole (with
fluid influence)

Average

Lower resolution