Application of electrical resistivity tomography to characterise the subsurface in a headwater hydrographic basin
Keywords:
geoelectric, basement, Gruss, aquifer, Mountain Ranges DomainAbstract
Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a multi-electrodic geophysical prospecting technique that allows the determination of lithological and structural variability and the identification of the presence of water in the subsurface. The aim of this work is to carry out a preliminary geological analysis of the subsurface in the headwaters of a river drainage basin, characterizing the morphological features, depth and geometry of the basement, thickness of the sedimentary sequence, and distribution of the aquifer. Three tomographies (TRE1, TRE2, and TRE3) were performed in the middle/lower section of a micro-basin, implementing the largest inter-electronic spacing in two of them. Three zones characterized by different resistivity levels were identified from the base to the top. The first zone comprised resistivity values between 188 and 500 Ω · m. The second zone is between 188 and 60 Ω · m, whereas the third zone shows values lower than 60 Ω · m. The electrical resistivity tomography analysis allowed the identification of the basement at depths between 10 and 20 m. A significant thickness of basement alteration ("Gruss"), varying between 5 and 20 m, and a cenozoic sedimentary sequence up to 6 m thick were detected. Finally, an aquifer formation with an average continuity of 5 m thickness was identified. The methodology enabled the identification of irregularities in the basement top and provided an approximate location of the primary fractures. These subsurface features are linked to the occurrence of springs in the area.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Camila Ailén Gregorini, Magalí Fornés, María Soledad Gualde, Greta Ríos Hiriart, Sebastian Kuntz, María Julia Arrouy, María Guadalupe Ares
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