Adrián Flores Orozco

An overview of the spectral induced polarization method for near-surface applications

Over the last 15 years significant advancements in induced polarization (IP) research have taken place, particularly with respect to spectral IP (SIP), concerning the understanding of the mechanisms of the IP phenomenon, the conduction of accurate and broadband laboratory measurements, the modelling and inversion of IP data for imaging purposes and the increasing application of the method in near-surface investigations. We summarize here the current state of the science of the SIP method for near-surface applications and describe which aspects still represent open issues and should be the focus of future research efforts. Significant progress has been made over the last decade in the understanding of the microscopic mechanisms of IP; however, integrated mechanistic models involving different possible polarization processes at the grain/pore scale are still lacking. A prerequisite for the advances in the mechanistic understanding of IP was the development of improved laboratory instrumentation, which has led to a continuously growing data base of SIP measurements on various soil and rock samples. We summarize the experience of numerous experimental studies by formulating key recommendations for reliable SIP laboratory measurements. To make use of the established theoretical and empirical relationships between SIP characteristics and target petrophysical properties at the field scale, sophisticated forward modelling and inversion algorithms are needed. Considerable progress has also been made in this field, in particular with the development of complex resistivity algorithms allowing the modelling and inversion of IP data in the frequency domain. The ultimate goal for the future are algorithms and codes for the integral inversion of 3D, time-lapse and multi-frequency IP data, which defines a 5D inversion problem involving the dimensions space (for imaging), time (for monitoring) and frequency (for spectroscopy). We also offer guidelines for reliable and accurate measurements of IP spectra, which are essential for improved understanding of IP mechanisms and their links to physical, chemical and biological properties of interest. We believe that the SIP method offers potential for subsurface structure and process characterization, in particular in hydrogeophysical and biogeophysical studies.

Delineation of subsurface hydrocarbon contamination at a former hydrogenation plant using spectral induced polarization imaging

Broadband spectral induced polarization (SIP) measurements were conducted at a former hydrogenation plant in Zeitz (NE Germany) to investigate the potential of SIP imaging to delineate areas with different BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) concentrations. Conductivity images reveal a poor correlation with the distribution of contaminants; whereas phase images exhibit two main anomalies: low phase shift values (<5 mrad) for locations with high BTEX concentrations, including the occurrence of free-phase product (BTEX concentrations >1.7 g/l), and higher phase values for lower BTEX concentrations. Moreover, the spectral response of the areas with high BTEX concentration and free-phase products reveals a flattened spectrum in the low frequencies (<40 Hz), while areas with lower BTEX concentrations exhibit a response characterized by a frequency peak. The SIP response was modelled using a Debye decomposition to compute images of the median relaxation-time. Consistent with laboratory studies, we observed an increase in the relaxation-time associated with an increase in BTEX concentrations. Measurements were also collected in the time domain (TDIP), revealing imaging results consistent with those obtained for frequency domain (SIP) measurements. Results presented here demonstrate the potential of the SIP imaging method to discriminate source and plume of dissolved contaminants at BTEX contaminated sites.

Monitoring the injection of microscale zerovalent iron particles for groundwater remediation by means of complex electrical conductivity imaging

The injection of microscale zerovalent iron (mZVI) particles for groundwater remediation has received much interest in recent years. However, to date, monitoring of mZVI particle injection is based on chemical analysis of groundwater and soil samples and thus might be limited in its spatiotemporal resolution. To overcome this deficiency, in this study, we investigate the application of complex electrical conductivity imaging, a geophysical method, to monitor the high-pressure injection of mZVI in a field-scale application. The resulting electrical images revealed an increase in the induced electrical polarization (∼20%), upon delivery of ZVI into the targeted area, due to the accumulation of metallic surfaces at which the polarization takes place. Furthermore, larger changes (>50%) occurred in shallow sediments, a few meters away from the injection, suggesting the migration of particles through preferential flowpaths. Correlation of the electrical response and geochemical data, in particular the analysis of recovered cores from drilling after the injection, confirmed the migration of particles (and stabilizing solution) to shallow areas through fractures formed during the injection. Hence, our results demonstrate the suitability of the complex conductivity imaging method to monitor the transport of mZVI during subsurface amendment in quasi real-time.

Hierarchical Bayesian method for mapping biogeochemical hot spots using induced polarization imaging

Author(s): Wainwright, HM; Flores Orozco, A; Bucker, M; Dafflon, B; Chen, J; Hubbard, SS; Williams, KH | Abstract:

Noninvasive characterization of the Trecate (Italy) crude-oil contaminated site: links between contamination and geophysical signals

The characterization of contaminated sites can benefit from the supplementation of direct investigations with a set of less invasive and more extensive measurements. A combination of geophysical methods and direct push techniques for contaminated land characterization has been proposed within the EU FP7 project ModelPROBE and the affiliated project SoilCAM. In this paper, we present results of the investigations conducted at the Trecate field site (NW Italy), which was affected in 1994 by crude oil contamination. The less invasive investigations include ground-penetrating radar (GPR), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys, together with direct push sampling and soil electrical conductivity (EC) logs. Many of the geophysical measurements were conducted in time-lapse mode in order to separate static and dynamic signals, the latter being linked to strong seasonal changes in water table elevations. The main challenge was to extract significant geophysical signals linked to contamination from the mix of geological and hydrological signals present at the site. The most significant aspects of this characterization are: (a) the geometrical link between the distribution of contamination and the site’s heterogeneity, with particular regard to the presence of less permeable layers, as evidenced by the extensive surface geophysical measurements; and (b) the link between contamination and specific geophysical signals, particularly evident from cross-hole measurements. The extensive work conducted at the Trecate site shows how a combination of direct (e.g., chemical) and indirect (e.g., geophysical) investigations can lead to a comprehensive and solid understanding of a contaminated site’s mechanisms.

Broadband Electrical Impedance Tomography for Subsurface Characterization Using Improved Corrections of Electromagnetic Coupling and Spectral Regularization

The low-frequency complex electrical conductivity in the mHz to kHz range has been shown to enable an improved textural, hydraulic, and biogeochemical characterization of the subsurface using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. Principally, these results can be transferred to the field using electrical impedance tomography (EIT). However, the required accuracy of 1 mrad in the phase measurements is difficult to achieve for a broad frequency bandwidth because of electromagnetic (EM) coupling effects at high frequencies and the lack of inversion schemes that consider the spectral nature of the complex electrical conductivity. Here, we overcome these deficiencies by (i) extending the standard spatial-smoothness constraint in EIT to the frequency dimension, thus enforcing smooth spectral signatures, and (ii) implementing an advanced EM coupling removal procedure using a newly formulated forward electrical model and calibration measurements. Both methodological advances are independently validated, and the improved imaging capability of the overall methodology with respect to spectral electrical properties is demonstrated using borehole EIT measurements in a heterogeneous aquifer. The developed procedures represent a significant step forward towards broadband EIT, allowing transferring the considerable diagnostic potential of EIS in the mHz to kHz range to geophysical imaging applications at the field scale for improved subsurface characterization.