Electrical resistivity tomography at the DOE Hanford site

Technical Report · Thu Apr 04 04:00:00 EST 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/16938· OSTI ID:16938

Narbutovskih, S M

Recent work at the DOE Hanford site has established the potential of applying Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) for early leak detection under hazardous waste storage facilities. Several studies have been concluded to test the capabilities and limitations of ERT for two different applications. First, field experiments have been conducted to determine the utility of ERT to detect and map leaks from underground storage tanks during waste removal processes. Second, the use of ERT for long term vadose zone monitoring has been tested under different field conditions of depth, installation design, acquisition mode/equipment and infiltration chemistry. This work involves transferring the technology from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program at the DOE Hanford Site. This paper covers field training studies relevant to the second application for long term vadose monitoring. Electrical resistivity tomography is a cross-borehole, imaging technique for mapping subsurface resistivity variations. Electrodes are placed at predetermined depths in an array of boreholes. Electrical current is introduced into one electrode pair located in one borehole while the resulting voltage change is detected between electrode pairs in other boreholes similar to a surface dipole-dipole array. These data are topographically inverted to image temporal resistivity contrasts associated with an infiltration event. Thus a dynamic plume is spatially mapped as a function of time. As a long-term vadose zone monitoring method, different field conditions and performance requirements exist than those for short term tank leak detection. To test ERT under these conditions, two vertical electrode arrays were constructed to a depth of 160 feet with a linear surface array between boreholes. The fielding was used to facilitate the technology transfer from LLNL to the Hanford RCRA program. Installation methods, commercial equipment and acquisition mode were evaluated to determine economic and technical feasibility to assist design of long-term monitoring networks. Preliminary results of the training test are presented. Until recently, vadose zone monitoring techniques could provide only local point or linear coverage for leak detection and thus, are used primarily under liquid collection systems at land disposal units. As developed by LLNL, ERT can provide areal coverage under waste treatment and storage facilities given the right conditions. Advantages of ERT to groundwater protection programs are explored along with suggestions for future uses where ERT can be employed today.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-96RL13200
• OSTI ID: 16938
• Report Number(s): WHC-SA--3035-FP; ON: DE99050061; BR: EW0000000; ON: DE99050061; BR: EW0000000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
HANFORD RESERVATION
LEAK DETECTORS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RESISTIVITY SURVEYS
STORAGE FACILITIES
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
TOMOGRAPHY
UNDERGROUND STORAGE