The use of broadband electromagnetic methods to differentiate layered models of soil salinity profiles

Abstract

The removal of native vegetation for the development of land has caused the salinisation of surface soil and water resources in Australia. It is important to determine the existence of potential salinity hazards so that preventative measures may be taken at an early stage. The current hydrogeological conditions and the topography of a given catchment influence the movement of saline groundwater, and it is of particular importance to identify areas of high- and low-recharge to groundwater. On a catchment scale, the delineation of high-recharge areas by drilling can be prohibitively expensive, and more efficient mapping methods are required. Broadband electromagnetic (EM) sounding methods offer the possibility of obtaining the vertical conductivity distribution in the regolith, to produce three-dimensional maps of the resistivity structure. These maps could be used to interpret the distribution of features related to hydrology, such as recharge and stratification of stored salt in catchments. For salinity-related problems, a regolith depth of about 50 m is relevant. It is therefore necessary to measure the high-frequency content of the EM response to differentiate shallow conductive layers. For both ground-based and airborne EM methods, the response has been modelled in a frequency range of a few hundred Hz to 50 kHz. Salinity profile types have been identified to characterise different types of recharge. These profile types have been simulated with models consisting of horizontal layers of different resistivity. The theoretical modelling has determined that EM methods can be used to distinguish different types of salinity profiles. These results are supported by inversion of EM data collected in the field in a number of catchments. The transient electromagnetic (TEM) method is used for ground-based broadband EM measurements, and modelling shows that both the depth and thickness of the salt accumulation can be resolved when its depth is as little as 6 m and its thickness 10 m. Additionally, a relatively resistive basement below the salt accumulation may be distinguished from a conductive one. Since the former case implies the presence of a high-recharge salinity profile and the latter case a low-recharge profile, this method may be used to differentiate the two types of profiles. Down-hole conductivity logs in catchments near Collie and at East Yornaning, WA, confirm that different salinity profiles can be distinguished with EM methods. At Collie, the TEM method has detected the presence of salt accumulations and has determined the depth of their lower boundary. Inversion of these results shows the presence of a resistive electrical basement below the salt accumulations, and therefore indicates that relatively high recharge conditions are associated with these salinity profiles. Similarly, measurements along traverse lines in the East Yornaning catchment show a correlation between the inversions results and known geological features.