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Application of Transient Electromagnetic and Audio-Magnetotelluric Methods for Imaging the Monte Real Aquifer in Portugal

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Abstract

Fifty transient electromagnetic (TEM) and 15 audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) soundings were carried out in the west central part of Portugal over an area of approximately 40 km2 to characterize the geological formations associated with the Monte Real aquifer in order to (1) assess the spatial extent of the aquifer, (2) detect the zones of higher water productivity and (3) evaluate the aquifer salinization risk. The dimensionality and strike direction of the AMT profiles were studied using phase tensor analysis and the AMT data was inverted using a two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear conjugate-gradient algorithm. In addition, the TEM soundings were inverted using a one-dimensional (1D) Levenberg–Marquardt technique in order to obtain 1D layered-earth resistivity models. The TEM results reveal that the aquifer is not uniform in the study area; a more resistive zone is evident in the north and northeast of the investigated area where we expect to have higher productivity. On the other hand, the AMT models suggest that the aquifer basement is probably located at a depth of more than 800 m. Based on the results of this investigation, no traces of saltwater intrusion were found for the Monte Real aquifer. Therefore, we assume that the risk of saltwater intrusion is small in the study area.

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Acknowledgements

This publication is supported by FCT project UID/GEO/50019/2013—IDL. The authors would like to thank Prof. Marvin Speece for the language editing of the manuscript. We are grateful to António Soares, Ivo Bernardo, João Plancha da Silva and João Medeiros for their contribution in data collection and equipment mobilization. Reviewers Pritam Yogeshwar and Thomas Kalscheuer gave us very valuable suggestions for improvement by their insight into TEM and AMT data processing and modeling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IDL-Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Campo Grande, Ed. C8, Lisbon, Portugal

    Mohammad Farzamian, Joana Alves Ribeiro & Fernando A. Monteiro Santos

  2. Montana Tech, 1300 West Park Street, Butte, MT, USA

    Mohamed A. Khalil

  3. Shahrood University, Shahrood, Iran

    Mohammad Filbandi Kashkouli

  4. CEMADEN-National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters, General Coordination of Research and Development, São José dos Campos, Brazil

    Cassiano Antonio Bortolozo

  5. Lisbon, Portugal

    João Lopo Mendonça

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  1. Mohammad Farzamian
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Correspondence to Mohammad Farzamian.

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Farzamian, M., Alves Ribeiro, J., Khalil, M.A. et al. Application of Transient Electromagnetic and Audio-Magnetotelluric Methods for Imaging the Monte Real Aquifer in Portugal. Pure Appl. Geophys. 176, 719–735 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-018-2030-7

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