Electrical Resistivity Method

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The Electrical Resistivity method is useful in characterising the sub-surface materials in terms of their electrical properties by inducing current into the ground via a pair of electrodes and measuring the corresponding potential field via a corresponding potential electrode. 

The depth of investigation is determined by the electrode separation and the resolution by the geoelectric line interval. Various electrode spacings and arrangements can be used, depending upon the objective of the survey. Important to note that the resolution of target features decreases with increased depth of burial.

Different materials have different resistances (or conductivity) and these variations usually correlate with water saturation, porosity, permeability, lithology and fluid conductivity. This can be used to map geologic variations, bedrock depths, fracture zones, ground water contamination and cavities such as caves, karst and/or evaporite dissolution sinkholes. 

The Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) can be used to obtain both 2D and 3D imaging results of the sub-surface including 4D time-lapse monitoring. See our Geomonitoring service.

TerraVisio Geosolutions has the required expertise and specialized processing of 2D/3D/4D electrical resistivity tomography data.

Applications

• Detect geological structures and features.
• Map bedrock depths and geometry.
• Ground water contamination.
• Mapping of cavities/voids such as karst and/or evaporite dissolution sinkholes.
• Hazardous waste site characterization.
• Mapping of landfill size and depth extent.
• Monitoring fluid-injection processes involved in waste-site remediation.
• Plume migration.

Please contact TerraVisio Geosolutions Limited on +44 775 811 1812 or email us at sales@terravisiogeo.com to discuss whether this method is ideal for your site investigation aims and objectives.