Intrinsic random function of order k kriging of electrical resistivity data for estimating the extent of saltwater intrusion in a coastal aquifer system

A saltwater intrusion study using electrical resistivity distribution was conducted in a coastal aquifer system in the southeastern part of Busan, Korea. This aquifer system is divided into four layers according to the hydrogeologic characteristics, and the horizontal extent of intruded saltwater is determined at each layer through the geostatistical interpretation of electrical resistivity data. Intrinsic random function of order k (IRF-k) kriging is performed with covariance models to produce the plane of spatial mean resistivities. The kriged estimates are evaluated by cross validation, and they showed a good agreement with the true values. The statistics of cross validation represented low errors for the estimates. In the resistivity contour maps more than 5 m below the surface, a dominant direction of saltwater intrusion was observed beginning from the east side. These results led the authors to conclude that the application of geostatistical technique to electrical resistivity data is useful for assessing saltwater intrusion in a coastal aquifer system.