Delineation of a landfill leachate plume using shallow electromagnetic and ground-penetrating radar surveys
- Univ. of Canterbury, Christchurch (New Zealand)
- Broadbent (Michael), Christchurch (New Zealand)
Leachate plumes are often more electrically conductive than the surrounding host pore waters, and thus can be detected using shallow electromagnetic (EM) methods. The depth of penetration of ground penetrating radar (GPR) is controlled to a large extent by the electrical conductivity. Conductive leachate plumes will appear as ``blank`` areas in the radar profiles, because the radar energy is more severely attenuated in the region of the leachate plume. The authors present here the results of EM and GPR Surveys carried out in an area adjacent to a landfill site. Previous resistivity surveys indicated the presence of a leachate plume originating from an early stage of the landfill operation. The shallow EM and GPR surveys were carried out, in part, to confirm and refine the resistivity results, and to delineate the spatial extent of the plume. The surficial sediments are coastal sands, and the dune topography has an effect on the EM results, even though the variations in elevation are, in general, no more than 3 m. Besides the leachate plume, numerous conductivity highs and lows are present, which are at least coarsely correlated with topographic lows and highs. Following the empirical procedure outlined by Monier-Williams et al. (1990), the topographic effects have been removed, and the plume is better isolated and delineated. A possible second, weaker leachate plume has been identified, emanating from the current landfill operation. The second plume may follow a channel that was masked by the overlying dune sands. The leading edge of the primary leachate plume is moving to the south-southeast at a rate of 14 to 15 m/yr.
- OSTI ID:
- 80259
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941015-; TRN: IM9532%%387
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 64. annual meeting of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and international exposition, Los Angeles, CA (United States), 23-27 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of SEG international exposition and sixty-fourth annual meeting -- 1994 Technical program: Expanded abstracts with authors` biographies; PB: 1736 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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