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applied geophysics
Electrical Resistivity Methods
Fall 2004
EarthPropertiesandBasicTheory
Reading
Today:207218
Next Lecture : 218-228
Introduction
Link resistivity (ability of the earth to
conduct an electric current) to subsurface
structure.
Useful because resistivity of earth
materials varies by around 10 orders of
magnitude.
Developed by Conrad Schlumberger
(France) and Frank Wenner (United
States) in early 20th century.
Uses: Archeology, Environmental, Mineral
exploration
Electricity Basics
Voltage V - Electrical potential energy per unit charge [volts]
Current i - amount of charge per unit time [amperes]
1
i V
R
Resistivity R is just a proportionality constant [ohms]
R relates current I to voltage I.
However, no units of length in this form of Ohms law.
Resistivity
Resistance includes length and area
We want resisitivityohm/mbecause
- property of the material alone.
- no geometry included
L
R ohm
A
length
resistance
area
resistance
1
mhos m
Electric field
Equation
Electrolyte
Soil (Archies law)
Soil (clays)
el mS
m 0.15 TDS
Comments
mg
L
el=soil
Controlled by (1-n)gSs
100
clays
10-3
Controlled by eln
Ss
sands
10-6
de-ionized
water
10-3
fresh
water
100
sea
water
el
Note:
This plot does not consider
the effect of tortuosity in the
electrical conductivity.
A V
i
l
A
I gradV
Earth as a Circuit
Soils and rocks can be conceptually modeled as a circuit made of a
resistor, capacitor, inductor and battery:
Electrodes
R
C
L
B
Resistor R:
Capacitor C:
Inductor L:
Battery B:
Boundary conditions:
1)As r => , V => 0.
2) V is continuous across any boundary
3) Tangential E continuous across any boundary
4) Normal I continuous across any boundary.
5) Above leads to no vertical current crossing earth-air interface.
l
dr
i
A
2 r 2
i dr i
1
VD dV
1
r 2 2 r D
2
D
D
i
1 1 1 i
2
D 2 D
source
sink
rsource
P
rsink
Vsource
Total Voltage at P:
2rsource
Vp Vsource Vsin k
Vsin k
2 rsink
i 1
1
2 rsource rsink
Measurement Practicalities
Cant measure potential at single point unless the other end of our
volt meter is at infinity. This is inconvenient. It is easier to
measure potential difference (V). This lead to use of four
electrode array for each measurement.
if=0.5 at
d
2
if=0.7 at z d
Deeper currents
Wider spacing
Apparent Resistivity
Previous expression can be
rearranged in terms of resistivity:
V/I) (2/G).
This can be done even when
medium is inhomogeneous. Result
is then referred to as Apparent
Resistivity.
Geometrical Factors
Advantages
Disadvantages
Wenner
Schlumberger
Dipole-Dipole