Integrating electromagnetic induction measurements and electrical resistivity tomography to monitor rainwater lenses in Dutch polders

Abstract

In agriculture, there is a demand for new methods to monitor the dynamics of fresh rainwater lenses overlaying on saline seeping groundwater. For this purpose, integrating different geoelectrical measurements is a non-invasive and low-cost approach to obtaining subsurface information. Geoelectric methods such as electromagnetic induction (EMI) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) have proven effective in characterizing subsoil electrical properties, which can be correlated to petrophysical properties such as fluid salinity. These methods have different sensitivities and can provide complementary information about the electrical conductivity and geometry of the subsurface. This study explores the effectiveness of a methodology that combines EMI measurements with laterally constrained inversion as prior information for ERT inversion. We investigate the usefulness of the method using synthetic data and data from a coastal Dutch polder system. The findings are promising, demonstrating improved delineation of changes in electrical conductivity, potentially linked with salinity fluctuations in the subsoil. This methodology proves effective in mapping in-depth variations in electrical conductivity. It could facilitate the impact assessment of level-controlled drainage systems on augmenting shallow rainwater lenses and mitigating salinization in Dutch polders.