Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geoelectric resistivity sounding of riverside alluvial aquifer in an agricultural area at Buyeo, Geum River watershed, Korea: an application to groundwater contamination study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

Twenty profiles of vertical electric soundings (VES) were obtained in a riverside alluvium at the Buyeo area, South Korea, to examine the variations of subsurface geology and associated groundwater chemistry. The combination of the VES data with the borehole data provided useful information on subsurface hydrogeologic conditions. The vestige of an ancient river channel (e.g. oxbow lake) was identified on the resistivity profiles by the lateral continuation of a near-surface perched aquifer parallel to the river. Such a perched aquifer is typically developed in the area with a clay-rich silty surface alluvium which prohibits the infiltration of oxygen. Therefore, groundwater below the oxbow lake shows a very low nitrate concentration and Eh values under the strong anoxic condition. The distribution of water resistivity is correlated with that of measured total dissolved solids concentration in groundwater, while the earth resistivity of the aquifer shows a significant spatial variation. It is interpreted that the earth resistivity of the aquifer is mainly controlled by the soil type rather than by the water chemistry in the study area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Burt TP, Matchett LS, Goulding WT, Webster CP, Haycock NE (1999) Denitrification in riparian buffer zone: the role of floodplain hydrology. Hydrol Process 13:1451–1463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chae GT, Kim K, Yun ST, Kim KH, Kim SO, Choi BY, Kim HS, Rhee CW (2004) Hydrogeochemistry of alluvial groundwaters in an agricultural area: an implication for groundwater contamination susceptibility. Chemosphere 55:369–378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury K, Saha DK (2004) Integrated geophysical and chemical study of saline water intrusion. Ground Water 42:671–677

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ebraheem AM, Senosy MM, Dahab KA (1997) Geoelectrical and hydrogeochemical studies for delineating ground-water contamination due to salt-water intrusion in the northern part of the Nile Dela, Egypt. Ground Water 35:216–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edet AE, Okereke CS (2002) Delineation of shallow groundwater aquifers in the coastal plain sands of Calabar area (Southern Nigeria) using surface resistivity and hydrogeological data. J Afr Earth Sci 35:433–443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El Gamili MM, Ibrahim EH, Hassaneen ARG, Abdalla MA, Ismael AM (2001) Defunct Nile Branches inferred from a geoelectric resistivity survey on Samannud area, Nile Delta, Egypt. J Archaeol Sci 28:1339–1348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fred GB (1993) Engineering geology. University of Natal, Durban

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim HS, Seo MC, Lee CW, Jin SH (2003) A high-resolution geophysical survey on the alluvium aquifer in the Gunsuri, Buyeo (Guem river) using the seismic and GPR methods. Paper presented at the 2003 Spring meeting of Korea society of soil and groundwater environment [in Korean with English abstract], Seongnam, Korea, 18–19 April 2003, pp 287–291

  • Kraft GJ, Stites W, Mechenich DJ (1999) Impacts of irrigated vegetable agriculture on a humid north-central US sand plain aquifer. Ground Water 37:572–580

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNeill JD (1980) Electrical conductivity of soils and rocks, Technical Note TN-5, Geonics Limited, Missisauga

  • Min JH, Yun ST, Kim K, Kim HS, Kim DJ (2003) Geologic controls on the chemical behavior of nitrate in riverside alluvial aquifers, Korea. Hydrol Process 17:1197–1211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parasnis DS (1997) Principles of applied geophysics. Chapman & Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Pozdnyakova L, Pozdnyakov A, Zhang R (2001) Application of geophysical methods to evaluate hydrology and soil properties in urban areas. Urban Water 3:205–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhee CW, Kim HS, Lee KJ (2002) Delineation of internal heterogeneities of Keum River point bar deposits in Buyeo area using GPR data [in Korean with English abstract]. J Korean Geophys Soc 5:337–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinich B, Marin LE (1996) Hydrogeological investigations in Northwestern Yucatan, Mexico, using resistivity surveys. Ground Water 34:640–646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang CH, Lee WF (2002) Using direct current resistivity sounding and geostatistics to aid in hydrogeological studies in the Choshyichi alluvial fan, Taiwan. Ground Water 40:165–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Korea Research Foundation (KRF) through the Environmental Geosphere Research Lab (EGRL) of Korea University. Dr. Mark Bultman is gratefully acknowledged for his helpful suggestion and editing the manuscript. The authors thank many students in Korea University for their assistance in the field survey.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Yong-Hee Park

    Present address: Department of Geophysics, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Kangwon-Do, 200-701, South Korea

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Environmental Geosphere Research Laboratory (EGRL), Korea University, Seoul, 136-713, South Korea

    Seong-Jae Doh & Seong-Taek Yun

Authors
  1. Yong-Hee Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Seong-Jae Doh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seong-Taek Yun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seong-Jae Doh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Park, YH., Doh, SJ. & Yun, ST. Geoelectric resistivity sounding of riverside alluvial aquifer in an agricultural area at Buyeo, Geum River watershed, Korea: an application to groundwater contamination study. Environ Geol 53, 849–859 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0698-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0698-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation