SHALLOW ELECTROMAGNETICS SURVEYING METHODS
Contact us for an initial consultation and cost estimate.
What is the Shallow Electromagnetic (EM) Method?
The near-surface, active, electromagnetic (EM) method is based on the induction of electric currents in the ground by the magnetic component of electromagnetic waves generated artificially at the surface. An alternating current of variable frequency is passed through a coil of wire (a transmitter coil). This process generates an alternating primary magnetic field which, in turn, induces tiny eddy currents in the Earth, the magnitude of which is directly proportional to the ground conductivity in the vicinity of the coil. These eddy currents then generate a secondary magnetic field, which is intercepted by a receiver coil. The interaction between the primary and secondary magnetic flux and the receiver coil generates a voltage related to the subsurface’s electrical conductivity, expressed as milliSiemen/meter (mS/m). Near-surface EM methods measure subsurface electrical conductivity through the use of low-frequency electromagnetic induction. EM instruments for near-surface studies use a transmitter and receiver coil. Depth of exploration is a function of antenna frequency, separation, and orientation. Soil electrical conductivity, the inverse of electrical resistivity, is a function of subsurface materials’ electrical properties and pore fluids’ chemistry. Therefore, EM methods are instrumental in mapping changes in lithology. In shallow EM surveying, the ground’s electrical conductivity is measured as a function of depth and/or horizontal distance. Different rocks (and buried structures/objects) exhibit different values of electrical conductivity. Mapping differences in electrical conductivity aids in identifying anomalous areas worthy of further investigation.
Shallow EM Applications Include:
Geological problems
- Shallow lithology mapping
Lateral and vertical variations in soil conductivity
Locating sinkholes and sub-surface voids
Mapping conductive faults and fracture zones
Mapping of shallow buried channel deposits and subsurface stratigraphy
Engineering problems
Mapping of contaminated soils
Mapping leachate migration
Delineating acid mine drainage
Mapping and monitoring groundwater pollution
Mapping inorganic plumes in groundwater and the vadose zone
Mapping leaks in contaminant ponds, landfill liners/reservoirs
Assessment of ground remediation
Environmental problems
Dam and levee assessment
Mapping buried foundations
Utility mapping and detection
Detection of buried metallic objects
Locating boundaries of landfills, pits, and trenches
Locating underground storage tanks (UST), buried drums, pipelines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and abandoned wellheads
Groundwater problems
Groundwater exploration
Aquifer characterization
Mapping saline intrusions
Mapping water-filled fractures and fissures
Monitoring groundwater contaminant plume movement with time
Archaeological and Forensic problems
Archaeological investigations
Archaeological site delineation
Historic cemetery mapping
Forensic soil investigations