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Approximate relationship between frequency-dependent skin depth resolved from geoelectromagnetic pedotransfer function and depth of investigation resolved from geoelectrical measurements: A case study of coastal formation, southern Nigeria

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Abstract

The task involved in the interpretation of Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) data is how to get unique results in the absence/limited number of borehole information, which is usually limited to information on the spot. Geological and geochemical mapping of electrical properties are usually limited to direct observations on the surface and therefore, conclusions and extrapolations that can be drawn about the system electrical characteristics and possible underlying structures may be masked as geology changes with positions. The electrical resistivity study pedotransfer functions (PTFs) have been linked with the electromagnetic (EM) resolved PTFs at chosen frequencies of skin/penetration depth corresponding to the VES resolved investigation depth in order to determine the local geological attributes of hydrogeological repository in the coastal formation dominated with fine sand. The illustrative application of effective skin depth depicts that effective skin depth has direct relation with the EM response of the local source over the layered earth and thus, can be linked to the direct current earth response functions as an aid for estimating the optimum depth and electrical parameters through comparative analysis. Though the VES and EM resolved depths of investigation at appropriate effective and theoretical frequencies have wide gaps, diagnostic relations characterising the subsurface depth of interest have been established. The determining factors of skin effect have been found to include frequency/period, resistivity/conductivity, absorption/attenuation coefficient and energy loss factor. The novel diagnostic relations and their corresponding constants between 1-D resistivity data and EM skin depth are robust PTFs necessary for checking the accuracy associated with the non-unique interpretations that characterise the 1-D resistivity data, mostly when lithostratigraphic data are not available.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, PMB 1169, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

    N J George & A M Ekanem

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

    D N Obiora

  3. Department of Applied Geophysics Programme, Department of Physics, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

    A E Akpan

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  1. N J George
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  2. D N Obiora
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  3. A M Ekanem
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  4. A E Akpan
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Correspondence to N J George.

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Corresponding editor: Pawan Dewangan

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George, N.J., Obiora, D.N., Ekanem, A.M. et al. Approximate relationship between frequency-dependent skin depth resolved from geoelectromagnetic pedotransfer function and depth of investigation resolved from geoelectrical measurements: A case study of coastal formation, southern Nigeria. J Earth Syst Sci 125, 1379–1390 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-016-0744-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-016-0744-4

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