Geoelectric Field Response to Seepage in Sand and Clay Formations
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 10
Abstract
An understanding of groundwater flow in soil and rocks is necessary for civil and environmental engineering. Real-time monitoring of groundwater flow is a relatively new research area. This paper presents an experimental investigation into the response of geoelectric fields to the steady flow of water through a heterogeneous sand and clay medium. The parameters of the geoelectric field were measured during seepage. The self-potential decreased gradually and then increased rapidly when the infiltration front passed reference electrode N at 3 min. The self-potential decreased rapidly when the infiltration front reached an electrode. Stepwise changes in the current were used to calculate the seepage velocities in different media. The apparent resistivity decreased rapidly to below when the water reached each electrode. Therefore, geoelectric fields can be used to monitor water flow in real time.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the 973 Program under Grant No. 2013CB227903 and the Priority Academic Program Development (PAPD) of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions for their financial support of this work.
References
Chandra, S., S. Ahmed, A. Ram, and B. Dewandel. 2008. “Estimation of hard rock aquifers hydraulic conductivity from geoelectrical measurements: A theoretical development with field application.” J. Hydrol. 357 (3): 218–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.05.023.
Crespy, A., A. Revil, N. Linde, S. Byrdina, A. Jardani, A. Bolève, and P. Henry. 2008. “Detection and localization of hydromechanical disturbances in a sandbox using the self-potential method.” J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 113 (B1): 769–775. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JB005042.
Darnet, M., and G. Marquis. 2004. “Modeling streaming potential (SP) signals induced by water movement in the vadose zone.” J. Hydrol. 285 (1): 114–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2003.08.010.
Doussan, C., L. Jouniaux, and J. L. Thony. 2002. “Variations of self-potential and unsaturated water flow with time in sandy loam and clay loam soils.” J. Hydrol. 267 (3–4): 173–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(02)00148-8.
Geng, J. S., Q. Sun, Y. C. Zhang, C. G. Yan, and W. Q. Zhang. 2017. “Electric-field response based experimental investigation of unsaturated soil slope seepage.” J. Appl. Geophys. 138 (Mar): 154–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jappgeo.2017.01.023.
Jardani, A., A. Revil, A. Bolève, A. Crespy, J. P. Dupont, W. Barrash, and B. Malama. 2007. “Tomography of the Darcy velocity from self-potential measurements.” Geophys. Res. Lett. 34 (24): 497–507. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL031907.
Jougnot, D., N. Linde, E. B. Haarder, and M. C. Looms. 2015. “Monitoring of saline tracer movement with vertically distributed self-potential measurements at the Hobe agricultural test site, Voulund, Denmark.” J. Hydrol. 521 (Feb): 314–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.11.041.
Legaz, A., J. Vandemeulebrouck, A. Revil, A. Kemna, A. W. Hurst, R. Reeves, and R. Papasin. 2009. “A case study of resistivity and self-potential signatures of hydrothermal instabilities, Inferno Crater Lake, Waimangu, New Zealand.” Geophys. Res. Lett. 36 (12): 91–100. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL037573.
Liu, S. D., B. Wang, G. Q. Zhou, S. L. Yang, and M. J. Chen. 2009. “Experimental research on mining floor water hazard early warning based on response of geo-electric field in groundwater seepage.” [In Chinese.] Chin. J. Rock Mech. Eng. 28 (2): 267–272.
Minsley, B. J., J. Sogade, and F. D. Morgan. 2007. “Three-dimensional self-potential inversion for subsurface DNAPL contaminant detection at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina.” Water Resour. Res. 43 (4): 576. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005WR003996.
Patellad, D. 1997. “Introduction to ground surface self-potential tomography.” Geophys. Prospect. 45 (4): 653–681. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2478.1997.430277.x.
Pellerin, L. 2002. “Applications of electrical and electromagnetic methods for environmental and geotechnical investigations.” Surv. Geophys. 23 (2–3): 101–132. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015044200567.
Revil, A., L. Cary, Q. Fan, A. Finizola, and F. Trolard. 2005. “Self-potential signals associated with preferential ground water flow pathways in a buried paleo-channel.” Geophys. Res. Lett. 32 (7): 303–341.https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL022124.
Revil, A., V. Naudet, and J. D. Meunier. 2004. “The hydroelectric problem of porous rocks: Inversion of the position of the water table from self-potential data.” Geophys. J. Int. 159 (2): 435–444. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2004.02422.x.
Sun, Q., S. D. Liu, C. L. Jiang, and B. Wang. 2014. “Geo-electric response of porous media in water and grout injection processes.” J. Cent. South Univ. 21 (12): 4640–4645. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-014-2471-9.
Suski, B., A. Revil, K. Titov, P. Konosavsky, M. Voltz, C. Dagès, and O. Huttel. 2006. “Monitoring of an infiltration experiment using the self-potential method.” Water Resour. Res. 42 (8): 1013–1016. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005WR004840.
Yang, L., Q. Sun, and H. Yang. 2018. “Laboratory-based geoelectric monitoring of water infiltration in consolidated ground.” Hydrogeol. J. 26 (7): 2229–2240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-018-1776-4.
Zohdy, A. A. 1969. “The use of Schlumberger and equatorial soundings in groundwater investigations near El Paso, Texas.” Geophysics 34 (5): 713–728. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1440042.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 24 • Issue 10 • October 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 12, 2018
Accepted: May 25, 2019
Published online: Jul 25, 2019
Published in print: Oct 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Dec 25, 2019
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.