GEOELCTERICAL

METHODS
BY
DR. ESSAM A. MORSY
CAIRO UNIVERSITY
Geophysical Surveys:

Can be divided
into
two classes
 Active
Versus
 Passive
 Passive geophysical surveys
Involving measurements
of naturally occurring
fields or properties
of the earth.
The naturally occurring
fields are the:
– gravitational field,
– magnetic field, and
– EM field.
 .Active geophysical Surveys

A signal is injected into

the earth and
we then measure how
the earth responds to
this signal.
DC resistivity and
seismic refraction.
 Electrical Methods Overview

The electrical
and
electromagnetic methods
represent
the largest class
of all geophysical methods
Due to the wide field applications.
INTRODUCTION

Several authors pointed out that

geoelectrical resistivity method can be
used in:
 Searching for water bearing formations,
 Stratigraphic correlation in oil fields,
 Prospecting for conductive bodies,
 Determining the depths of high or low
conductive-anomalous layers,
Determining the depths and
approximate shape of resistivity-
anomalous ore bodies,

Civil engineering and environmental

investigations,

Cavity detection, and

Identifying the depth of sand and

gravel deposits.
What are the electrical Properties
-:of rocks depend on
The electrical properties of most
rocks in the upper part of the Earth’s
crust are dependent primarily upon
– The amount of water in the rock,
– The salinity of the water, and
– The distribution of the water in the
rock.
 Saturated rocks have lower
resistivities
than unsaturated and dry rocks.
The higher the porosity of the
saturated rock, the lower its
resistivity, and
the higher the salinity of the
saturating fluids, the lower the
resistivity.
The presence of clays and
conductive minerals also reduces
the resistivity of the rock.
 Properties are of primary concern in
the application of electrical methods
Two properties are of primary concern
in the application of electrical
methods:

1. The ability of rocks to conduct an

electric current, and
2. The polarization which occurs when an
electrical current is passed through
them (induced polarization).
The resistivity method is used in the
study of horizontal and vertical
discontinuities in the electrical
properties of the ground.
It utilizes direct currents or low
frequency alternating currents to
investigate the electrical properties
(resistivity) of the subsurface.
A resistivity contrast between the
target and the background geology
must exist.
 Common applications of
resistivity surveying
Groundwater exploration
Mineral exploration,
detection of cavities
Oil exploration
Waste site exploration
 Electrical methods employ
a variety of measurements
.within the Earth

DC Resistivity
Induced Polarization (IP)
Self Potential (SP)
Electromagnetic (EM)
Magnetotelluric (MT)
 BASICS
Current Flow and Ohm's Law
In 1827, Georg Ohm
defined an empirical
relationship between
the current flowing
through a wire and
the voltage potential
required to drive that
current.
 It's Resistivity, NOT Resistance

In the case of a wire,

resistivity is defined as
the resistance in the
wire, times the cross-
sectional area
of the wire, divided by
the length of the wire.
The units associated
with resistivity are
thus, ohm - m
(ohm-meters).
Resistivity is one of the most variable
physical properties.
 There is
a large range of resistivities,
not only between varying
rocks and minerals
but
also
within rocks of the same type.
 Resistivity
Is the reciprocal of
conductivity
 RESISTIVITY UNITS
It is reasonable to expect that R is directly
proportional to the length of the resistor and
inversely proportional to the cross-sectional
area of the resistor. The conductivity is defined
as

Dimensionally, the units of resistivity must be in

ohm-m, and conductivity then is:
 Dependencies of Earth
resistivities:
1. Water ,  
2. Salinity ,  
4. Porosity ,  (water filled)
5. Clays ,  
6. Metallic minerals , 
 Rock types and resistivity

Igneous rocks highest resistivities

Sedimentary rocks tend to be
the most conductive due to their
high fluid content
Metamorphic rocks have
intermediate but overlapping
resistivities
Most rock-forming minerals are insulators:
108−1016 Ωm
However, measurement in situ:
– sedimentary rocks: 5−1000 Ωm
– metamorphic/crystalline rocks: 100−105 Ωm

Reason: Rocks are usually porous and pores

are filled with fluids, mainly water. As the
result, rocks are electrolytic conductors.
Electrical current is carried through a rock
mainly by the passage of ions in pore waters.
➔ Most rocks conduct electricity by
electrolytic rather than ohmic processes.
 Schematic current flow in
soil sample

➔ An increase in the number of ions in soil

water (groundwater contamination) linearly
decreases the soil resistivity.
 The approximate resistivity
values of common rock types
Age of the rock and Resistivity

Age of the rock is also important for

the resistivity.
For example:
Young volcanic rock (Quaternary)
≈10−200 Ωm
Old volcanic rock (Precambrian)
≈100−2000 Ωm
 Current Densities and
Equipotentials
How does the
current flow
through the Earth?
At any point in the medium, the
current density is defined as the
amount of current passing through a
unit area of an equipotential surface.
A First Estimate of Resistivity

V is voltage,
I is current,
r is resistivity,
and r is the distance

this expression is nothing

more than Ohm's law with the
resistance, R equal to r over
2pr.
If the Earth had a constant resistivity,
Current Flow From Two Closely
Spaced Electrodes
A Practical Way of Measuring
Resistivity

r1, r2, r3, and r4, as shown in the figure.

 Electrode configurations
and general case

General Case
The general case is considered, where the
current sink is a finite distance from the
source.
 Principle of
measurement
and potential
field for for
geoelectric
DC surveys
 ELECTRODE ARRAYS
There are three commonly
used electrode arrays
including

1- Wenner array,
2- Dipole-Dipole array, and
3- Schlumberger array
 ( a ) S c h lu m b e r g e r

V
A M N B
2 l

2 L

( b ) W enner

A M N B

a a a

( c ) D ip o le - D ip o le

I V

A B M N

a a
L

F ig . (I -2 ): E le c tr o d e a r r a y s in c o m m o n u s e
(a ) S c h lu m b e r g e r , (b ) W e n n e r , a n d (c ) D ip o le - d ip o le c o n fig u r a tio n s .
Comparison Of Electrode Arrays
 Relation between electrode
spacing and depth penetration
Depth of penetration
is
equal to
one fifth
of
electrode spacing
 Factors affecting selection of
resistivity electrode arrays.
Sensitivity to surface Resolution of Resolution of Signal
inhomogeneties Steeply dipping Horizontal Response
structures structures

Profiling Sounding Array

C B C A A Wenner

C A B A B Schlumberger

B D D B E Dipole-Dipole
 Generally

The Schlumberger and Wenner

arrays are the most common arrays
used for different engineering,
environmental, and groundwater
applications. There are two
essential differences between these
two types of electrode arrays:
In the Schlumberger array, the distance between the
potential electrodes MN is small and is always kept
equal to, or smaller than, one-fifth the distance
between the current electrodes AB; that is, AB5MN.
In the Wenner array, on the other hand, AB is always
equal to 3MN,

The potential electrodes in a Schlumberger sounding

are moved only occasionally. In a Wenner sounding,
however, they and the four electrode are moved after
each measurement.
Knowing the locations of the four electrodes,
and by measuring the amount of current input
into the
ground, i and the voltage difference between
the two potential electrodes, DV, we can
compute the
resistivity of the medium, ra, using the
following equation.
 In this particular case,
regardless of the location of the
four electrodes, ra will be exactly
equal to the
resistivity of the medium. The
resistivity computed using the
equation given above is referred
to as the
apparent resistivity.
Depth of Current Penetration Versus Current
Electrode Spacing
Current Flow in Layered Media
Variation in Apparent Resistivity: Layered Versus
Homogeneous
Media
Current Flow in Layered Media Versus Current
Electrode Spacing

Consider the earth

model shown
below: a high
resistivity layer
over a lower
resistivity layer.
 Plotting the Resistivity Data
Thus, if we were to compute and plot
apparent resistivity for a variety of current
electrode spacings while holding the
potential electrodes fixed, we would
generate a plot similar to that shown
below.
 A Second Example of Current
Flow in Layered Media
As another example of
current flow in layered
media and how
apparent resistivity
can vary with varying
electrode spacing*,
consider the earth
model shown below.
In this case, a low
resistivity layer
overlies a
higher resistivity
halfspace.
 Survey Types Overview:
Soundings and Profiles
Resistivity Soundings

Resistivity Profiling
VES
 VES
The relation between electrode
spacing and depth penetration
Resistivity Soundings
Electrode Spacings and Apparent
Resistivity Plots
Flow Diagram showing the basic Steps of Acquisition,
Processing and interpretation of VES data.
 Resistivity Profiling

resistivity profiles are resistivity surveys in

which the electrode spacing is fixed
for all readings. Apparent resistivity is
computed for different electrode center
points as the entire
electrode spread is moved. Usually, the
center point is moved along the line of the
electrodes, although
this does not have to be the case.
Profiling is accomplished by fixing
the electrode spacing and moving
the entire array.
The distance between stations D, is
dictated by the lateral resolution
desired
 Geo-electric Layering
Often the earth can be
simplified as consisting
of a series of
horizontal beds that
are infinite in extent.•
Goal of the resistivity
survey is then to
determine thickness
and resistivity of the
layers.
VES Data Plotting Convention

Plot apparent resistivity as a function

of the log of some measure of
electrode separation.
•Wenner –a spacing
•Schlumberger –AB/2
•Dipole-Dipole –n spacing
Future? Towed Array
 Measurement System
Transmitter
Power Supply–Can be DC–AC more
common
Ammeter
Metal electrodes
Receiver
Volt meter
Metal electrodes
 Field Considerations for DC
Resistivity

Good electrode contact with the earth.

earth
– Wet electrode location
– Add NaCl solution or bentonite.
Surveys should be conducted along a
straight line whenever possible.

Stay away from cultural features

whenever possible (power lines, pipes,
grounded metal fences,pumps, etc)