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The combined use of radio-frequency electromagnetics and radiomagnetotellurics methods in non-ideal field conditions for delineating hydrogeological boundaries and for environmental problems

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Radio frequency geophysical methods are known for being very versatile tools in ground- and groundwater investigation at shallow depths. They are fast and easy to use and allow a high density of information over large surfaces, which makes them very suitable for geological mapping sensu lato (faults, lithological contacts, groundwater-bearing structures, vulnerability maps, and contaminant plumes) and for selecting borehole locations. Significant improvement concerning 2D and 3D modelling of the data has occurred in recent decades. However, field surveys are very seldom performed in “ideal conditions”—the lack of necessary transmitters, in the convenient direction, in order to catch the structures in E- and H-pol for modelling purposes, is not an unusual situation. The present paper shows how the use of RMT and RF-EM is nevertheless of great help and suggests different ways to explore qualitative data in different geological settings.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was developed in the frame of the invitation of the first author as a Guest Professor at the EPFL—École Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne, GEOLEP Department. The authors would like to express their thanks to the EPFL—École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia, Geological Survey of the INETI—Instituto Nacional de Engenharia e Tecnologia Industrial, SONAE/IMOAREIA—Investimentos Turísticos, SGPS, Câmara Municipal de Moura, SA., for the financial support. They are also grateful to those who participate in the field work, namely Augusto Costa, Alain Francés, T. Stigter, L. Nunes and Vitor Oliveira.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade das Ciências do Mar e Ambiente, Campus de Gambelas, 8000, Faro, Portugal

    A. Carvalho Dill

  2. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, ENAC ICARE GEOLEP, GC, Station 18, Ecublens, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    P. Turberg & A. Parriaux

  3. Centre Hydrogéologie de l’Université de Neuchâtel, Rue Émile Argand, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    I. Müller

Authors
  1. A. Carvalho Dill
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  2. P. Turberg
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  3. I. Müller
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  4. A. Parriaux
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Correspondence to A. Carvalho Dill.

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Dill, A.C., Turberg, P., Müller, I. et al. The combined use of radio-frequency electromagnetics and radiomagnetotellurics methods in non-ideal field conditions for delineating hydrogeological boundaries and for environmental problems. Environ Geol 56, 1071–1091 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1208-1

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