Resistivity Imaging as a Tool for Water Prospecting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As was explained on the geothermal imaging page, resistivity has many applications, including water prospecting. This is because water sources at depth (due to aquifers, underground rivers, and the like) will be very conductive relative to the surrounding medium.

The figure above shows a 3D slice plot of resistivity data taken in Plantages Portomari, Curacao. The data were gathered and inverted by the ERL. The black lines indicate boreholes that are currently being used to supply nearby communities with water.

The Earth Resources Laboratory has offered to perform a follow-up survey in Curacao during the dry season, 2001. We are attempting to quantify the seasonal fluctuations of the water table in Portomari as well as to identify the location of more stable aquifers. Notice that the boreholes in the foreground correspond to a vertically oriented, conductive feature starting at ~25m and extending to the bottom of the survey at 50m depth. This is the effective capture zone of these wells, where the water is pumped from the ground, creating a hydraulic gradient. It is thought that the conductive feature (very dark blue) in the foreground may be a more stable aquifer that would greatly help the people in the region.

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