Application of Geo-electrical Methods for Estimating Water Infiltration in Soils

Abstract

In this study, an alternative approach was applied for the characterization of the subsurface geological conditions to estimate the hydrological parameters in the absence of subsurface soil data. The study revealed that the hydrological parameters, estimated from the Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), were significantly correlated with in situ data. Overall estimated infiltration rate (below 20 inches/h) predicted fine-grained soil was also associated with in situ data. A high correlation among the bulk electrical resistivity, porosity, and the resistivity of the pore fluid thereby confirmed the relevance of Archie's law used in this study. Furthermore, results showed that both TEM and ERT are vital tools for hydrological parameter estimation.