Application of electrical and electromagnetic methods to study sedimentary covers in high mountain areas

The results of geophysical studies conducted with selected electrical and electromagnetic methods in the Kondratowa Valley in the Tatra Mountains (the Carpathian Mountains, Poland) are presented in the article. The surveys were performed with the following methods: electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), georadar (GPR) and conductivity meter (CM). The objective of the noninvasive geophysical measurements was to determine the thickness of the Quaternary postglacial sediments that fill the bottom of the valley and to designate the accumulation of boulders deposited on Quaternary sediments. The results of ERT surveys conducted along the axis of the valley allowed to determine the changeability of the thickness of the postglacial sediments and allowed to designate a few areas of occurrence of boulders. The ERT, GPR and CM surveys conducted across the valley allowed to designate with high accuracy the thickness of the accumulation of boulders sliding down the valley bottom from the couloirs surrounding the valley.     

Geomorphology of the Alluvial Sediments and Bedrock in an Intermontane Basin: Application of Variogram Modeling to Electrical Resistivity Soundings

The study describes a methodology used to integrate legacy resistivity data with limited geological data in order to build three-dimensional models of the near subsurface. Variogram analysis and inversion techniques more typically found in the petroleum industry are applied to a set of 1D resistivity data taken from electrical surveys conducted in the 1980s. Through careful integration with limited geological data collected from boreholes and outcrops, the resultant model can be visualized in three dimensions to depict alluvium layers as lithological and structural units within the bedrock. By tuning the variogram parameters to account for directionality, it is possible to visualize the individual lithofacies and geomorphological features in the subsurface. In this study, an electrical resistivity data set collected as part of a groundwater study in an area of the Peshawar basin in Pakistan has been re-examined. Additional lithological logs from boreholes throughout the area have been combined with local outcrop information to calibrate the data. Tectonic activity during the Himalayan orogeny has caused uplift in the area and generated significant faulting in the bedrock resulting in the formation of depressions which are identified by low resistivity values representing clays. Paleo-streams have reworked these clays which have been eroded and replaced by gravel–sand facies along paleo-channels. It is concluded that the sediments have been deposited as prograding fan-shaped bodies and lacustrine deposits with interlayered gravel–sand and clay–silt facies. The Naranji area aquifer system has thus been formed as a result of local tectonic activity with fluvial erosion and deposition and is characterized by coarse sediments with high electrical resistivities.     

Complex kame belt morphology,stratigraphy and architecture

The development of glacier karst at the margins of melting ice sheets produces complex glaciofluvial sediment-landform assemblages that provide information on ice sheet downwasting processes. We present the first combined geomorphological, sedimentological and geophysical investigation of the Brampton Kame Belt, an important glaciofluvial depositional zone at the centre of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data allow the broad scale internal architecture of ridges (eskers) and flat-topped hills (ice-walled lake plains) to be determined at four sites. In combination with sediment exposures, these provide information on lateral and vertical variations in accretion styles, depositional boundaries, and grain size changes. Building on existing work on the subject, we propose a refined model for the formation of ice-walled lake plains resulting from the evolution and collapse of major drainage axes into lakes as stable glacier karst develops during deglaciation. The internal structure of esker ridges demonstrates variations in sedimentation that can be linked to differences in ridge morphologies across the kame belt. This includes low energy flow conditions and multiple accretion phases identified within large S-N oriented esker ridges; and fluctuating water pressures, hyperconcentrated flows, and significant deformation within a fragmented SW–NE oriented esker ridge. In combination with updated geomorphological mapping, this work allows us to identify two main styles of drainage within the kame belt: (1) major drainage axes aligned broadly S-N that extend through the entire kame belt and collapsed into a chain of ice-walled lakes; and (2) a series of smaller, fragmented SW–NE aligned esker ridges that represent ice-marginal drainage as the ice sheet receded south-eastwards up the Vale of Eden. Our study demonstrates the importance of integrated geomorphological, sedimentological and geophysical investigations in order to understand complex and polyphase glaciofluvial sediment-landform assemblages. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The origins of Antarctic rock glaciers: periglacial or glacial features?

In extensively glaciarized permafrost areas such as Northern Victoria Land, rock glaciers are quite common and are considered postglacial cryotic landforms. This paper reveals that two rock glaciers in Northern Victoria Land (at Adélie Cove and Strandline) that are located close to the Italian Antarctic Station (Mario Zucchelli Station) should have the same origin, although they were previously mapped as Holocene periglacial landforms and subsequently considered ice‐cored and ice‐cemented rock glaciers, respectively. In fact, by integrating different geophysical investigations and borehole stratigraphy, we show that both landforms have similar internal structures and cores of buried glacier ice. Therefore, this kind of rock glacier is possibly related to the long‐term creep of buried ice rather than to permafrost creep alone. This interpretation can be extended to the larger part of the features mapped as rock glaciers in Antarctica. In addition, a high‐reflective horizon sub‐parallel to the topographic surface was detected in Ground Probing Radar (GPR) data over a large part of the study area. Combining all the available information, we conclude that it cannot be straightforwardly interpreted as the base of the active layer but rather represents the top of a cryo‐lithological unit characterized by ice lenses within sediments that could be interpreted as the transition zone between the active layer and the long‐term permafrost table. More generally, knowledge of the subsurface ice content and, in particular, the occurrence of massive ice and its depth is crucial to make realistic and affordable forecasts regarding thermokarst development and related feedbacks involving GHG emissions, especially in the case of cryosoils rich in carbon content. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Direct-Push Electrical Conductivity Logging for High-Resolution Hydrostratigraphic Characterization

Fine-scale hydrostratigraphic features often play a critical role in controlling ground water flow and contaminant transport. Unfortunately, many conventional drilling- and geophysics-based approaches are rarely capable of describing these features at the level of detail needed for contaminant predictions and remediation designs. Previous work has shown that direct-push electrical conductivity (EC) logging can provide information about site hydrostratigraphy at a scale of relevance for contaminant transport investigations in many unconsolidated settings. In this study, we evaluate the resolution and quality of that information at a well-studied research site that is underlain by highly stratified alluvial sediments. Geologic and hydrologic data, conventional geophysical logs, and particle-size analyses are used to demonstrate the capability of direct-push EC logging for the delineation of fine-scale hydrostratigraphic features in saturated unconsolidated formations. When variations in pore-fluid chemistry are small, the electrical conductivity of saturated media is primarily a function of clay content, and hydrostratigraphic features can be described at a level of detail (<2.5 cm in thickness) that has not previously been possible in the absence of continuous cores. Series of direct-push EC logs can be used to map the lateral continuity of layers with non-negligible clay content and to develop important new insights into flow and transport at a site. However, in sand and gravel intervals with negligible clay, EC logging provides little information about hydrostratigraphic features. As with all electrical logging methods, some site-specific information about the relative importance of fluid and sediment contributions to electrical conductivity is needed. Ongoing research is directed at developing direct-push methods that allow EC logging, water sampling, and hydraulic testing to be done concurrently.     

Assessment of an ancient bridge combining geophysical and advanced photogrammetric methods: Application to the Pont De Coq,France

A high resolution geophysical survey was carried out on the Pont De Coq, a medieval stone arch bridge located in Normandy (France) in 2011 and 2012. Two complementary methods are used: Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Ground PenetratingRadar (GPR). They allow to evaluate the structural state of the bridge and to characterize the subsurface around and beneath the bridge. An excellent correlation is obtained between the geophysical methods and the geological data obtained around the bridge. In order to improve the restitution of the geophysical data, an advanced photogrammetric method is performed, providing a high resolution 3D Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the Pont de Coq. The advanced photogrammetry enhances the presentation of the GPR and ERT data. This approach is an easy-to-use, rapid and cost-effective tool for stakeholders. Finally, it is a promising and original method for improved interpretations of future geophysical surveys.     

Geophysical study of the Peinan Archaeological Site,Taiwan

The Peinan archaeological site is the most intact Neolithic village with slate coffin burial complexes in Taiwan. However, the area that potentially contains significant ancient remains is covered by dense vegetation. No reliable data show the distribution of the ancient village, and no geophysical investigation has been performed at this site. To evaluate various geophysical methods under the geological setting and surface condition of the site, the physical properties of the remains were measured and four geophysical methods involving magnetic, electromagnetic (EM), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) were tested along three parallel profiles. The results imply that the EM and magnetic methods are much cost-effective and suitable for investigating the entire area. GPR and ERT methods can provide high resolution subsurface image, which are much suitable for subsequently detail investigation.The EM and magnetic surveys were thus conducted over the entire Peinan Cultural Park to understand the distribution of the ancient building remains at the Peinan site. The results of this study were verified by subsequent excavations, which indicate that the EM survey was successful in delineating the majority of the ancient village because the basements of building are highly resistive in comparison to the background sediment. The results of this investigation suggest that the ancient village was broadly distributed over the eastern part of the Peinan Culture Park and extended to the southeast.     

Investigating alluvial and tectonic features with ground-penetrating radar and analyzing diffractions patterns

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) experiments were conducted on a Quaternary sedimentary (made up of gravel, sand and loess) site to image the structures and tectonic features. Two sets of antennae, 50 and 100 MHz, have been tested in a water saturated alluvial deposits (mostly sand and gravel). The 100 MHz antennae provided adequate penetration depth and allowed better lateral continuity and resolution of the subsurface targets than the 50 MHz antennae. Results show that most of GPR data are contaminated by strong diffraction hyperbolae caused by above-ground objects near the survey line. Therefore, it is very important to recognize the diffractions through air and not to confuse them with the reflections from underground geologic features. Despite the air diffraction problem, the GPR data allow us to prospect subsurface sedimentary and tectonic structures. Water table, channels and meander bars are observed on GPR data. Most of these observations are correlated with borehole and trench data.     

Geophysical survey on the tectonic and sediment distribution of Qinghai Lake basin

1 Introduction in China, with an area of 4400 km2 and a drainage area With the advancement of global change study, peo- of nearly 29,660 km2[2]. Occurring at a “climatic triple ple are paying more and more attention to the conti- junction” among the East Asian monsoon, Indian nental environment (in which we reside), its evolution Monsoon and the Westerly Jet Stream, it lies in the and its future tendency. As a component of the global transitional belt of the east monsoonal humid areas sys…     

大同盆地内砂板梁上断裂新活动及其力学实验模拟

通过野外实地考察、野外现场力学实验及室内力学实验模拟断裂的新活动，来研究砂板梁新隆起的活动构造特征和类型。旨在从实验模拟与野外实践相结合的基础上，对活动构造，特别是对断裂新活动在第四纪松散沉积层中特殊的表现形式进行研究，寻找第四纪松散沉积层中断裂新活动的有效识别标志，这是准确判定断裂新活动的关键，对工程地质评价及区域性地震危险性分析有很好的实用价值     

Non-invasive Geophysical Surveys in Search of the Roman Temple of Augustus Under the Cathedral of Tarragona (Catalonia,Spain): A Case Study

An integrated geophysical survey has been conducted at the Tarragona’s Cathedral (Catalonia, NE Spain) with the aim to confirm the potential occurrence of archaeological remains of the Roman Temple dedicated to the Emperor Augustus. Many hypotheses have been proposed about its possible location, the last ones regarding the inner part of the Cathedral, which is one of the most renowned temples of Spain (twelfth century) evolving from Romanesque to Gothic styles. A geophysical project including electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground probing radar (GPR) was planned over 1 year considering the administrative and logistic difficulties of such a project inside a cathedral of religious veneration. Finally, both ERT and GPR have been conducted during a week of intensive overnight surveys that provided detailed information on subsurface existing structures. The ERT method has been applied using different techniques and arrays, ranging from standard Wenner–Schlumberger 2D sections to full 3D electrical imaging with the advanced Maximum Yield Grid array. Electrical resistivity data were recorded extensively, making available many thousands of apparent resistivity data to obtain a complete 3D image after a full inversion. In conclusion, some significant buried structures have been revealed providing conclusive information for archaeologists. GPR results provided additional information about shallowest structures. The geophysical results were clear enough to persuade religious authorities and archaeologists to conduct selected excavations in the most promising areas that confirmed the interpretation of geophysical data. In conclusion, the significant buried structures revealed by geophysical methods under the cathedral were confirmed by archaeological digging as the basement of the impressive Roman Temple that headed the Provincial Forum of Tarraco, seat of the Concilium of Hispania Citerior Province.     

Mapping of glaciotectonic deformation in an ice marginal environment with ground penetrating radar

A series of closely spaced parallel ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiles of glaciotectonic deformed glacio-fluvial sediments have been obtained in an ice marginal environment in Northwest Zealand, Denmark. The radar profiles can be differentiated into several radar facies with distinct reflection characteristics. The lithology and depositional environment of the radar facies is interpreted by correlation with information from profiles in gravel pits, geological maps and drill hole data. The radar facies include glaciotectonically disturbed glacio-fluvial sediments, sediments deposited penecontemporaneously with the deformations and sediments deposited post-tectonically. Several thrust planes with dip angles between 25° and 30° as well as major folds and minor faults have been interpreted from the GPR data. The deformation style of the deformed glacio-fluvial sediments is a thin-skinned pro-glacial thrust complex, with associated folding. The deformations have resulted in the present ridge morphology seen in the rim of the composite ridge. Syn- and post-tectonic sediments are deposited on top and in front of the deformed sediments, smoothing the ridge relief created by the thin-skinned thrust complex. A structural geological map constructed from the ground penetrating radar data reveals the extension of the individual radar facies in the thrust complex. Tectonic features such as thrust planes and folds can be followed throughout the mapped area.     

长江三角洲顶部冰后期地层的沉积特征

钻探证实,镇江市谏壁镇长江北岸高桥镇北部埋藏硬粘土层,之上为冰后期松散沉积物。沉积物主要为粉砂、粘土质粉砂、砂泥互层,中部局部夹含细砾中细砂,顶部见淤泥质粘土;夹数十层植物炭屑层;以水平纹理为主,局部见小型交错层理、波状层理。表明冰后期以来该地处于水动力较弱的河湖环境,为多期湖沼相沉积夹汉道河流相沉积,局部有海相沉积物加入。根据碳化植物碎屑^14C年龄,推测冰后期底界年龄约13000aBP,海侵到达该地的时间约为9000aBP,海侵最高位时间约为6500aBP。冰后期平均沉积速率约为4．9m／ka,湖沼相3．4～6m／ka,河流相10～15m／ka。对全新统的底界年龄和海相层的埋藏深度进行了讨论。     

A Bayesian trans-dimensional approach for the fusion of multiple geophysical datasets

We propose a Bayesian fusion approach to integrate multiple geophysical datasets with different coverage and sensitivity. The fusion strategy is based on the capability of various geophysical methods to provide enough resolution to identify either subsurface material parameters or subsurface structure, or both. We focus on electrical resistivity as the target material parameter and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), electromagnetic induction (EMI), and ground penetrating radar (GPR) as the set of geophysical methods. However, extending the approach to different sets of geophysical parameters and methods is straightforward. Different geophysical datasets are entered into a trans-dimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) search-based joint inversion algorithm. The trans-dimensional property of the McMC algorithm allows dynamic parameterisation of the model space, which in turn helps to avoid bias of the post-inversion results towards a particular model. Given that we are attempting to develop an approach that has practical potential, we discretize the subsurface into an array of one-dimensional earth-models. Accordingly, the ERT data that are collected by using two-dimensional acquisition geometry are re-casted to a set of equivalent vertical electric soundings. Different data are inverted either individually or jointly to estimate one-dimensional subsurface models at discrete locations. We use Shannon's information measure to quantify the information obtained from the inversion of different combinations of geophysical datasets. Information from multiple methods is brought together via introducing joint likelihood function and/or constraining the prior information. A Bayesian maximum entropy approach is used for spatial fusion of spatially dispersed estimated one-dimensional models and mapping of the target parameter. We illustrate the approach with a synthetic dataset and then apply it to a field dataset. We show that the proposed fusion strategy is successful not only in enhancing the subsurface information but also as a survey design tool to identify the appropriate combination of the geophysical tools and show whether application of an individual method for further investigation of a specific site is beneficial.     

Storm response of a mixed sand gravel beach ridge plain under falling relative sea levels: A stratigraphic investigation using ground penetrating radar

Beach ridge stratigraphy can provide an important record of both sustained coastal progradation and responses to events such as extreme storms, as well as evidence of earthquake induced sediment pulses. This study is a stratigraphic investigation of the late Holocene mixed sand gravel (MSG) beach ridge plain on the Canterbury coast, New Zealand. The subsurface was imaged along a 370 m shore-normal transect using 100 and 200 MHz ground penetrating radar (GPR) antennae, and cored to sample sediment textures. Results show that, seaward of a back-barrier lagoon, the Pegasus Bay beach ridge plain prograded almost uniformly, under conditions of relatively stable sea level. Nearshore sediment supply appears to have created a sustained sediment surplus, perhaps as a result of post-seismic sediment pulses, resulting in a flat, morphologically featureless beach ridge plain. Evidence of a high magnitude storm provides an exception, with an estimated event return period in excess of 100 years. Evidence from the GPR sequence combined with modern process observations from MSG beaches indicates that a palaeo-storm initially created a washover fan into the back-barrier lagoon, with a large amount of sediment simultaneously moved off the beach face into the nearshore. This erosion event resulted in a topographic depression still evident today. In the subsequent recovery period, sediment was reworked by swash onto the beach as a sequence of berm deposit laminations, creating an elevated beach ridge that also has a modern-day topographic signature. As sediment supply returned to normal, and under conditions of falling sea level, a beach ridge progradation sequence accumulated seaward of the storm feature out to the modern-day beach as a large flat, uniform progradation plain. This study highlights the importance of extreme storm events and earthquake pulses on MSG coastlines in triggering high volume beach ridge formation during the subsequent recovery period. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geophysical methods in drinkwater protection of near-surface reservoirs

Two case histories are presented in which near-surface water-bearing formations and their overburden are examined. This survey utilized a combination of traditional geoelectric methods (direct current resistivity and time domain induced polarization) and a special shallow-depth engineering geophysical sounding method. This latter method was developed in Hungary to investigate near-surface unconsolidated formations such as clay, silt, sand, gravel and other similarly “penetratable” formations.For a gravel terrace, in addition to the usual parameter maps (resistivity, thickness, polarizability), combined multiparametric characterization maps have been plotted. These maps illustrate the hydrogeologic value of the water-bearing formations and the protecting capacity of the overburden better than the conventional parameter maps.Surface measurement results together with filtration coefficient values show how an inexpensive geophysical survey can successfully be applied in estimating the dangerous or protected situation of near-surface reservoirs and how such a survey can be used for siting reservoirs. This work enabled the near-surface geological structure to be determined, hereby providing orientation for more expensive, highly detailed surveys.     

福州盆地埋藏晚第四纪沉积地层划分

文中以14个钻孔地层编录为基础,结合前人研究资料,初步总结了福州盆地埋藏第四纪地层的沉积特征。福州盆地沉积始于晚更新世中期(约56.5ka BP),由砾石、砂、黏土、淤泥组成,总体表现为从下至上粒度变细的沉积序列,地层岩性横向变化较大;盆地内发育3层淤泥,第1,2层淤泥发育于全新世中晚期,时代为1.44～7.86ka BP,为“长乐海侵”的产物,第3层淤泥发育于晚更新世晚期,时代约为44～20ka BP,为“福州海侵”的产物;盆地埋藏晚第四纪地层可划分为上更新统和全新统,分为4个组,从老至新分别为龙海组(Q3pl)、东山组(Qhd)、长乐组(Qhc)与江田组(Qhj)。龙海组归属上更新统,划分为3段,其余3个组归属全新统     

Characterizing hydrological processes in a semiarid rangeland watershed: A hydrogeophysical approach

The complex ecohydrological processes of rangelands can be studied through the framework of ecological sites (ESs) or hillslope‐scale soil–vegetation complexes. High‐quality hydrologic field investigations are needed to quantitatively link ES characteristics to hydrologic function. Geophysical tools are useful in this context because they provide valuable information about the subsurface at appropriate spatial scales. We conducted 20 field experiments in which we deployed time‐lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), variable intensity rainfall simulation, ground‐penetrating radar (GPR), and seismic refraction, on hillslope plots at five different ESs within the Upper Crow Creek Watershed in south‐east Wyoming. Surface runoff was measured using a precalibrated flume. Infiltration data from the rainfall simulations, coupled with site‐specific resistivity–water content relationships and ERT datasets, were used to spatially and temporally track the progression of the wetting front. First‐order constraints on subsurface structure were made at each ES using the geophysical methods. Sites ranged from infiltrating 100% of applied rainfall to infiltrating less than 60%. Analysis of covariance results indicated significant differences in the rate of wetting front progression, ranging from 0.346 m min^?1/2 for sites with a subsurface dominated by saprolitic material to 0.156 m min^?1/2 for sites with a well‐developed soil profile. There was broad agreement in subsurface structure between the geophysical methods with GPR typically providing the most detail. Joint interpretation of the geophysics showed that subsurface features such as soil layer thickness and the location of subsurface obstructions such as granite corestones and material boundaries had a large effect on the rate of infiltration and subsurface flow processes. These features identified through the geophysics varied significantly by ES. By linking surface hydrologic information from the rainfall simulations with subsurface information provided by the geophysics, we can characterize the ES‐specific hydrologic response. Both surface and subsurface flow processes differed among sites and are directly linked to measured characteristics.     

地质雷达在乌拉山山前断裂探测中的应用

地质雷达是利用电磁波对地下不同电性介质进行探测的地球物理仪器，其探测速率快、分辨率高，可弥补探槽和其他地球物理方法存在探测盲区的缺陷，正在越来越多地应用于活动断层探测领域。本文以乌拉山山前断裂为例开展地质雷达探测工作，使用无人机正射影像技术对测线进行地形校正，获得断层浅部地质雷达图像。研究结果表明，本文研究方法能有效反映探槽揭露的地层单元和断层分布。本次探测中，雷达波形图像特征为:浅地表的土壤层反射波总体较弱；粗粒沉积为主的砾石层反射波总体较强，同相轴连续性好；细粒沉积为主的砂层反射波弱于砾石层，波形以中、高频为主，同相轴具有弱连续性；对于洪冲积地区，地质雷达能分辨具有一定特征的地层单元，这为剖面图像的断层识别提供了标志；通过无人机正射影像技术对地质雷达测线进行地形校正，有利于获得更为准确的探测结果。