Intervention of Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) in Resolving Hydrological Problems of a Semi Arid Granite Terrain of Southern India

Abstract

Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) has been used in association with several geohydrological, geotechnical and geophysical methods in resolving several site specific problems in hydrological science. Advancement in the field of computers and automation in the field of electronics has jointly resulted in the development of this geophysical innovation which has wide application in groundwater, environmental and engineering problems including monitoring of vadose zone water movement, steam injection etc. In this paper application of ERT in association with geohydrological and other exploration methods in resolving groundwater sustainability problem of a micro-watershed area in semi arid granite terrain is presented as three independent cases. In a hard rock terrain the probability of complexities in understanding the sub-surface lithology and its corresponding hydrological parameters are more. Hence appropriate resistivity survey configuration and suitable inversion of acquired data in congregation with other geo-scientific investigations were carried out to understand the site specific problem. The study demonstrated as 3 independent cases shows the usefulness of the ERT method in hydrological investigations, which is economic, efficient and less time consuming in comparison to the other exploration methods.

Comparative study of Wenner and Schlumberger electrical resistivity method for groundwater investigation: a case study from Dhule district (M.S.), India

“…Studies on dykes have been carried out to classify the dykes as carrier or barrier for groundwater flow (Erram et al 2010;Singh and Jamal 2002;GSDA 2001). Andrade (2011) and Golekar et al (2014) have been established that VES method and 2D resistivity can be a better tool in understanding the hydro-geological problems (Andrade 2011;Golekar et al 2014). In the area under study, electrical resistivity method is carried out and favorable groundwater zones are identified.…”

Geophysical methods in management of aquifer recharge & groundwater contamination study

“…The surface resistivity method, viz., conventional resistivity sounding and profiling or resistivity imaging (ERT) is generally used for the purpose to assess depth-wise and lateral changes in resistivity that can be interpreted in terms of hydrogeological characteristics and MAR site suitability (Andrade, 2011;Ahmed et al, 2014), viz., top soil conditions, weathered zone, macro-fractures in granites, shallow vesicular and fractured basalt layers and cavities in limestones. Obtaining a recognizable geophysical response from a deeper crystalline basement fractured zone or vesicular/fractured basalt zone to be recharged only through the resistivity method may not be always possible.…”

Groundwater Exploration Using Vertical Electrical Sounding And 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography In Shale Formation: A Case Study Of Sabongida, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria

“…According to Yang et al (2002), Hauck et al (2003), Cheng et al (2008) and Crook et al (2008), 2D ERT approach is a more effective and powerful way for studying shallow subsurface electrical structures in a variety of situations. Groundwater exploration and prospecting, engineering geophysics and environmental site evaluations have all made substantial use of electrical resistivity tomography (eg., Hossain, 2000;Suzuki et al, 2000;Demanet et al, 2001;Adepelumi et al, 2006;Gokturkler et al, 2008;Andrade, 2011). Using 2D electrical resistivity tomography, Alshehri & Abdelrahman (2021) investigated the groundwater supply of the Harrat Khaybar area in Saudi Arabia, determining the water bearing formation to be sub-basaltic alluvial sediments and basaltic flows.…”