Groundwater Geophysics

Sketch view of a karst system hydrogeology

Scientific issues

Fresh groundwater availability is today a world-scale pressing need, and the exploitation of groundwater resources plays a key-role for the next future of our planet. Thus, it’s obvious that accurate and reliable location methods are of primary importance in the decision-making of water research.
Sea coastal acquifers are constantly threatened by saltwater intrusion, and they will be even more in the future, given the foreseen sea-level rise. The identification of the fresh/salt water interface thus can be an important factor in land use planning.
Presence of water primarily alters the bulk electrical properties of the rocks and soils, according to the porosity, structure, cementation, saturation and its resistivity.
Water-bearing rocks also are affected by a variation in their bulk mechanical properties, leading to variations in their seismic velocities.

Moreover, the presence of faults and cavities (such as karsts) have a dramatic impact on the water underground propagation and accumulation.
Nowadays geophysics can be a reliable tool to locate groundwater resources, that can greatly aid the standard geological surveys. Our company offers high-technology water research services, carried out by means of by state-of-the-art geophysical equipments and a consolidated experience.

Geophysics’ contributions

Multidimensional (2D/3D) resistivity imaging aimed at reconstruct the water table surface (carried out by means of ERT and TDEM measurements)
Multidimensional (2D/3D) density modelling and location of the main structural lineaments and karst detection from the measured gravity field
Water-bearing faults location in crystalline rocks by VLF measurements
Identification of bedrock surface by seismic surveys