Subsurface waters found at greater depths are more favorable for water supply purposes (residential use, agricultural irrigation) than our shallow groundwaters found in near-surface detrital sediments, which have low yields and are mainly suitable for local water supply. The extraction of these confined waters can provide a solution in areas where access to surface water is limited, or where surface water is seasonal or potentially contaminated.
Finding water-bearing formations is often challenging, especially in areas where little or no information is available on local hydrogeological conditions. In such cases, the risk of drilling dry wells with low water yield is significant.
The application of geophysical methods, such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), is recommended for the exploration and mapping of these aquifers before commencing costly drilling operations. The use of this method significantly increases the chances of successfully constructing wells with higher water yields.
Advantages of using the ERT method in subsurface water exploration:
- Accurate identification of water-bearing layers: ERT provides a high-resolution image of subsurface structures, facilitating the location of water-bearing layers.
- Reduces the risk of dry drilling: ERT helps identify potentially water-rich areas, thereby increasing the chance of a well's expected water yield and reducing the risk of costly drilling.
- Wide range of applicability: Measurements can be performed in urban environments and rural areas after completing the necessary measurement planning processes.
- Time and cost-effective: After understanding the research area and client requirements, we determine the number and length of measurement profiles based on our professional experience. Unlike point-like 1-dimensional data provided by drilling, we collect 2 or 3-dimensional data over several kilometers to understand the stratigraphic conditions of the area.
- Applicable to various depths: If required, mapping of surface or deeper water layers can also be achieved by optimizing resolution and research depth.