SOIL EXPLORATION BY

GEOPHYSICAL METHODS

By
S. VEDHASRI – 18071D1216
V. NIKHILA BHAVANI – 18071D1217
V. VAMSI KALYAN – 18071D1218

VNR VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
 INDEX
• INDEX
• DEFINITION OF SOIL EXPLORATION
• GEOPHYSICAL METHODS FOR SOIL
EXPLORATION
• SEISMIC REFRACTION METHOD
• ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY METHOD
• CONCLUSION
 DEFINITION OF SOIL EXPLORATION

The field and laboratory studies carried out for

obtaining the necessary information about the subsoil
characteristics including the position of ground water
table is termed as SOIL EXPLORATION
 ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY METHOD
1. The electrical resistivity method consists of measuring the
resistivity of the soil strata and correlating the resis­tivity to
the properties of the soil.
2. Resistivity is defined as resistance between the opposite
faces of unit cube of the material.

The electrical resistivity method is of the following two types:

a) Electrical profiling method.
b) Electrical sounding method.
A) ELECTRICAL PROFILING METHOD
• In this method, four electrodes, usually in the form of metal
spikes, are driven into the ground at the same spacing.
• The method is also known as resistivity mapping method
• The two outer electrodes are known as current electrodes, and
the two inner electrodes are known as potential electrodes, as
shown in fig.
• A direct current (DC) of 50-100 milli amperes (mA) is applied
between the outer electrodes, and the voltage drop between the inner
electrodes is measured using a poten­tiometer.
• The mean resistivity of the soil up to a depth of D cm below ground
surface is obtained from
where
a is the distance between electrodes in centimeters (cm)
V the voltage drop between inner electrodes in volts (V)
I the current flowing between outer electrodes in amperes (A)
in ohm-cm
• The electrodes are moved as a group, at the same spacing between
them & the midpoint (P) moves forward by a distance of 4D in
successive tests of the electrical profiling method as shown in Fig
Applications of electrical profiling are
• Map faults ( discontinuity in a volume of rock)
• Locate voids
• Map heavy metals soil contamination
• Delineate disposal areas
• Explore for sand and gravel
B) ELECTRICAL SOUNDING METHOD
• The method known as electrical sounding is used when the
variation of resistivity with depth is required.
• This method is similar to the electrical profiling method,
except that the electrode system is expanded about a point P
by increasing the spacing between the electrodes in successive
operations
• For example, the electrode spacing is increased with every
successive test, as shown in fig
• The midpoint (P) remains at the same position in the electrical
sounding method.

• The mean resistivity of the soil up to a depth of D cm below

ground surface is obtained from
Applications of electrical sounding method are:
• Characterize subsurface hydrogeology ( study of movement
of groundwater in the soil and rock of earth’s crust)
• Determine depth to bedrock
• Determine depth to groundwater
• Map stratigraphy ( study of rock layers)
• Groundwater contamination
• Estimate landfill thickness
• Apparent resistivity is plotted against spacing, preferably, on
log paper.

• For curve C1 the resistivity of layer 1 is lower than that of

layer 2; for curve C2, layer 1 has a higher resistivity than that
of layer 2.
• The type of soil or rock stratum encountered will be estimated
using the measured resistivity from table
Electrical resistivity of different types soils and rocks