• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 1998

The electrical resistivity method, one of old and widely used geophysical prospecting methods, has extended its scope to civil & environmental engineering areas. The electrical resistivity imaging technique was performed at the waste disposal site located in Junju to verify the applicability to the environmental engineering area. The dipole-dipole array, with the dipole spacing of 10 m, was applied along eight survey lines. The field data were obtained under the control of automatic acquisition softwares and topographic effects were corrected during processing stage. The processed resistivity images show that very low resistivity develops inside the disposal site and the distribution of low resistivity is exactly in accord with the boundary of the site except the river side. The depth of low resistivity zones is deeper toward the river side, which is interpreted that there is a high possibility for contaminants to be scattered to the river. From resistivity images, it was feasible to deduce the depth of waste disposal as well as the horizontal/vertical distribution of the contaminated zone, which proved the applicability of the electrical resistivity imaging technique to the environmental engineering area.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.171-183
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• 2004

Electrical resistivity survey is widely used to investigate the stability of center-core type fill dam against the seepage phenomenon. In this study, we analyze the resistivity information obtained on a earth fill dam and compare it with the geotechnical SPT result. The analysis shows that the zones showing low resistivity value generally have low N value. However, some zones with high resistivity pattern do not accompany the increase of N value, and even showing low N value. These results imply that the direct identification of resistivity value to the real status of the core material of fill dam is impossible, and a highly resistive zone may be in serious status due to the effect increasing the resistivity value by the piping condition. Therefore, multiple exploration should be planned to reduce the uncertainty in application of geophysical methods to dam safety evaluation.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.179-195
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• 2002

This paper examined the applicability of geophysical prospecting for water leakage detection of the water utilization facilities. Electrical resistivity survey and spontaneous-potential survey were carried out for the water leakage detection of dike and embankment, and the applicability was confirmed from many case studies. However, in order to efficiently maintain and detection of the more accurate water points in the embankment, the efficiently maintain and detection of the more accurate water leakage points in the embankment, the requirements are as follows; 1) It is necessary to use the electrical resistivity survey jointly with the spontaneous-potential survey in order to improve the reliability of water leakage information. 2) It is important to understand physical properties of the soil which influences the electrical resistivity of embankment in order to accurately grasp the water leakage points from the result of the electrical resistivity survey. 3) It is necessary to introduce the three-dimensional prospecting in order to improve the reliability of the measured value. 4) Introductions of the monitoring measurement system are necessary in order to efficiently and economically maintain of the water utilization facilities.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.211-214
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• 2005

Low resistivity zone is observed at the lower part of a CFRD (Concrete Face Rockfill Dam). Generally, CFRD tends not to have any saturated zone within the body, but the result of resistivity survey shows that it is possible for the dam to be saturated under 20m depth with water. The level of reservoir was under 10 m from the crest. We suspect that this result may come from the wrong 2D inversion process ignoring the 3D geometry of dams. For the analysis of possibility of distortion by different geometry, we perform the 3D forward modeling for the dam and apply the 2D inversion process. And then we check the point of traditional interpretation of resistivity data. By the analysis, it is found that the result of 2D inversion process of 3D geometry of dams, seems to have deep relation with the reservoir level, and the complex 3D structure hide some internal electrical anomaly of dams from resistivity information.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.370-377
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the current saturation which forces the apparent resistivity to converge when the conductivity contrast between the anomalous body and background medium is greater than a specific value. Analizing theoretical and numerical solutions for some simple models, we studied the behavior of the surface charge, and how the surface charge cause the current saturation and finally lead to the convergence of the apparent resistivity in the resistivity method. As a consequence of above analysis, we verified that the current saturation makes the apparent resistivity converge to a specific value and the magnitude of the apparent resistivity anomaly be less than that of the ideal conductor or insulator in the resistivity method. In general, current saturation is considered to occur when the conductivity contrast becomes larger than 100.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2001

A number of tangible cultural properties have been left to suffering damage without any scientific conservation or maintenance. We conducted nondestructive geophysical explorations around the Western pagoda of the Iksan Mireuksa Temple for the purpose of preparing the counterplan of its conservation and maintenance and of utilizing the geophysical information for the design of repair. Geophysical image of the shallow subsurface around the construct resulting from electric resistivity, seismic refraction, and GPR methods carried out along 6 lines in the site was used to investigate the relationship between the foundation characteristics and the structural safety. Tilting of the pagoda southwest towards seems to result from the low resistivity zones found in the southwestern part. The GPR and seismic surveys revealed a boundary at depth of 3.3～3.5m dividing into two layers, compacted overlaid soil and the original ground. The boundary appears to dip southwest. The artificial layer as a foundation does not covers as much as the bottom area of the pagoda. This top soil dipping southwest seems to result in tilting of foundation southwestward towards. Our geophysical result suggests ground reinforcement in the western part of the survey area for the conservation of the construct.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.250-256
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• 2002

Resistivity tomography has become an important tool to image underground resistivity distribution. This method has been widely applied to site investigation for engineering and environmental purpose. In resistivity tomography, various electrode arrays can be used and each array has both merits and demerits. For example, the pole-pole array has high signal to noise ratio (S/N ratio), but its resolution is too low. The dipole-dipole array has low S/N ratio, but its resolution is very high. The Pole-dipole may has intermediate Snf ratio and resolution. The modified Pole-dipole array, recently proposed, shows reasonable S/N ratio and resolution, which are comparable to the pole-dipole array. These electrode arrays except the pole-pole array, however, have the problem that the apparent resistivity can diverge at some special electrode Positions. Also, the Pole-Pole array may not reflect the doe resistivity of an anomalous body. In this study, we propose a new electrode array, mixed array, where pole-dipole and modified pole-dipole ways are selectively used with the relative positions of current and potential electrodes. The mixed array has the same level of S/N ratio and resolution as the pole-dipole array and the apparent resistivity does not diverge in the receiver hole. Furthermore, the apparent resistivity using the array can reflect the true resistivity of the anomalous body.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2000

The location and geometry of the Ulsan Fault play important roles in interpreting tectonic evolution of the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. Dipole-dipole electrical resistivity surveys and seismic refraction surveys were carried out in the Yaksoo area, Ulsan in order to measure the thickness of the alluvium covering the Ulsan Fault and to find associated fracture zones and possibly the location of its major fault plane. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted. Some results reported previously by others were also used in this interpretation. No low resistivity anomalies were found in the cross-sectional resistivity image of the survey line located in the east of the Dong River. In contrast, well-developed continuous low resistivity anomalies were detected in the west of the Dong River. This strongly suggests that the major fault plane of the Ulsan Fault is located under or in the west part of the Dong River. Two refraction boundaries corresponding to the underground water level and the bottom of the alluvium were found by refraction surveys carried out on the limited part of the east survey line. The thickness of the alluvium was found to be about 30 m. Small faults in the basement rock identified by reflection surveys were not detected by both resistivity and refraction seismic surveys. This might be explained by assuming that low resistivity anomaly is more closely related to the clay contents than the water contents. On the other hand, it may be resulted by the limited resolution of the resistivity and refraction surveys. Detailed study is required to clarify the reason. Resistivity survey is frequently considered to be a good exploration method to detect subsurface faults. However, it appears to be less useful than reflection seismic survey in this work. In dipole-dipole resistivity survey, the number of separation should be increased to survey deeper subsurface with the same resolution. However, signal to noise ratio decreases as the number of separation increases. In this survey area, the signal to noise ratio of up to sixteen separations was good enough based on the statistical properties of measurements.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.131-139
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• 2001

Until recently, limestone yield production is mainly depend on geological investigation and boring. In the study seismic and electrical method are applied to calculate the basic data of limestone yield production. the result of geophysical prospecting, the depth of bed rock is approximately 17m. And there is a slightly difference between the limestone layer boundary which is drawn by electrical prospecting method and that of geological investigation.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.138-146
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• 2007

This paper describes 2.5D induced polarization (IP) modeling and inversion algorithms using complex resistivity. The complex resistivity method has merits for acquiring more valuable information about hydraulic parameters and pore fluid than the conventional IP methods. The IP modeling and inversion algorithms are developed by allowing complex arithmetic in existing DC modeling and inversion algorithms. The IP modeling and inversion algorithms use a 2.5D DC finite-element algorithm and a damped least-squares method with smoothness constraints, respectively. The accuracy of the IP modeling algorithm is verified by comparing its responses of two synthetic models with two different approaches: linear filtering for a three-layer model and an integral equation method for a 3D model. Results from these methods are well matched to each other. The inversion algorithm is validated by a synthetic example which has two anomalous bodies, one is more conductive but non-polarizable than the background, and the other is polarizable but has the same resistivity as the background. From the inverted section, we can cleary identify each anomalous body with different locations. Furthermore, in order to verify its efficiency to the real filed example, we apply the inversion algorithm to another three-layer model which includes phase anomaly in the second layer.