Hydrogeophysical Approach for Identification of Layered Structures of the Vadose Zone from Electrical Resistivity Data
Electric resistivity surveys and borehole collection of resistivity data are one of the oldest geophysical tools for characterization of the vadose zone. The current trend is to conduct such surveys in a tomographic manner, which requires significant computational resources. We present a simple semi-analytical approach to delineate multiple layers in partially saturated soils from resistivity measurements taken in a borehole at several depths. The proposed inversion algorithm is computationally efficient and can serve either as a stand-alone tool for layers delineation or as an autonomous module in a more comprehensive geophysical survey. It is most robust when each layer is sampled at least once. When one or more layers have not been sampled, the algorithm’s robustness (convergence) is dependent on the accuracy of an initial guess (e.g., expert knowledge or other hard and/or soft data). We provide a detailed analysis of the algorithm’s convergence and identify potential pitfalls.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 946376
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-58680; KJ0101010; TRN: US200903%%396
- Journal Information:
- Vadose Zone Journal, 7(4):1253-1260, Vol. 7, Issue 4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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