• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.187-194
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• 2003

A small-loop electromagnetic (EM) system using multiple frequencies has advantages in survey speed and cost despite of limitation on its depth of investigation. Therefore, small-loop EM surveys have been frequently used on various site investigations involving engineering and environmental problems. We have developed a subsurface imaging technique using small loop EM data. We used a one-dimensional (ID) inversion method to reconstruct a subsurface image from frequency EM sounding data. Tests using simulated data show that the method can reasonably recover the subsurface resistivity structure. Also, the method was tested on field data obtained with multiple frequency small loop EM system at a farm in Chunchon, Korea. The resistivity image obtained form field data compares favorably with the image from the dipole-dipole resistivity survey.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.245-250
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• 2007

The small loop EM method is a fast and convenient geophysical tool which can give shallow subsurface resistivity distribution. It can be a useful alternative of resistivity method in conductive environment. We applied the multi-frequency small loop EM method for the investigation of a soft ground landfill site which was constructed on a tideland since the resistivity of the survey area is extremely low. 3D resistivity distribution was obtained by merging 1D inversion results and shallow subsurface structure can be interpreted. By comparing the result with the drilling log and measured soil resistivity sampled at 16 drill holes, we can get lot of information such as groundwater level, thickness of landfill, salinity distribution, depth to the basement and etc.

• Journal of Korean Society of societal Security
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.39-46
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• 2009

A small loop-loop multi-frequency electromagnetic(EM) induction method is a useful technique to map a resistivity distribution efficiently and non-destructively. However, for quantitative interpretation and depth sounding, the quality of measured data is crucial. In this paper, we propose a bias correction of measured data by using background noise measurements to obtain reliable data, and propose an evaluation technique of apparent that can provide a resistivity image easily. We have performed small loop-loop EM measurements to detect water saturation in a man-made test site. The application of our proposed techniques to the measured data was successful.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.299-308
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• 2002

We have derived an analytical expression for the sensitivity of the frequency domain small-loop electromagnetic (EM) surveys over a two-layer earth in order to estimate the depth of investigation with an instrument having the source-receiver separation of about 2 m. We analyzed the sensitivities to the lower layer normalized by those to the upper half-space and estimated the depth of investigation from the sensitivity analyses and the mutual impedance ratio. The computational results showed that the in-phase components of the sensitivity to the lower layer dominates those to the upper layer when the thickness of the upper layer is less than 20 m, while the quadrature components are not sensitive to the lower layer over the entire frequency range. Hence we confirmed that the accurate measurement of the in-phase component is essential to increase the depth of investigation in the multi-frequency small-loop EM survey. When conductive basement of 10 ohm-m underlies the upper layer of 100 ohm-m, an accurate measurement of the in-phase components ensures the depth of the investigation more than 10 m even accounting a noise effect, from which we conclude that the small-loop EM survey is quite effective in imaging the conductive plume down to a considerable depth. On the other hand, in the presence of the resistive basement of 1,000 ohm-m, the depth of investigation may not exceed 5 m considering the instrumental accuracy, which implies that the application of the small-loop EM survey is not recommended over the resistive environment other than detecting the buried conductor.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2010

The small loop electromagnetic (EM) method is a fast and convenient geophysical tool which can provide resistivity distribution of shallow subsurface. Especially, it can be a useful alternative of resistivity method in a very conductive environment such as a reclaimed saline land. We applied the multi-frequency small loop EM method for the site investigation of reclaimed saline land. We inverted the measured EM data using one dimensional (1D) inversion program and merged to obtain three dimensional (3D) resistivity distribution over the survey area. Finally, comparing he EM results with the drill log and measured soil resistivity sampled at 16 drill holes, we can define the site character such as thickness of landfill, salinity distribution, and etc.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.186-194
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• 2019

Deterministic optimization, commonly used to find the geophysical inverse solutions, have its limitation that it cannot find the proper solution since it might converge into the local minimum. One of the solutions to this problem is to use global optimization based on a stochastic approach, among which a large number of particle swarm optimization (PSO) applications have been introduced. In this paper, I developed a geophysical inversion algorithm applying PSO method for the layered-earth resistivity inversion of the small-loop electromagnetic (EM) survey data and carried out numerical inversion experiments on synthetic datasets. From the results, it is confirmed that the PSO inversion algorithm could increase the inversion success rate even when attempting the inversion of small-loop EM survey data from which it might be difficult to find a best solution by applying the Gauss-Newton inversion algorithm.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2011

The small-loop electromagnetic (EM) survey is an effective method to delineate contamination areas and pathways of contaminant plumes from landfill. A multi-frequency small-loop EM survey was applied to find them at landfill area, located in delta region, and checked the results with in-situ surveys including 24 trench excavations and 12 drilling boreholes. The correlation between these two results indicates this survey would be suitable to investigate the contamination area. However, it would be difficult to analyze low resistivity less than 10 ohm-m below 10 m depth in delta area without drilling survey because of a limitation to expand the penetration depth lower than 10 m depth due to the separation of 1.66 m between the two coils of GEM-2.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.107-112
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• 2007

To establish the reinforce region and technique through the embankment dike after identifying the region of seawater inflow, we carried out small-loop electromagnetic (EM) survey, electrical resistivity survey and refraction seismic method. We also analyzed the distribution of electrical conductivity in reservoir with depth every two month and monitored water level variations with tidal variation in four observation wells located at seaside and reservoir side in order to analyze the relationship with survey results. From both the cross-correlation between tidal and water level variation at four wells and the distribution of electrical conductivity in reservoir with depth, the major portion of seawater inflow are identified through the embankment dike. From electromagnetic and electrical resistivity survey results, it was found that the seawater inflow were happened through several small regions at seaside and became wider near reservoir side. The 2-D inversion sections of refraction seismic method showed that the pebble-bearing sand layer is spread over the whole region with two to four width. From the this study, small-loop EM, electrical resistivity and refraction seismic surveys accompany with the distribution of electrical conductivity in reservoir with depth and the monitoring results for water level variations are revealed to be effective to identify seawater inflow pathway through embankment dike and to establish the reinforce region and technique through the embankment dike.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.143-152
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• 2003

Among the various geophysical approaches to identify the leakage of leachate with conductivity variation, conventional electrical resistivity survey has been mainly used at waste landfill. We adopted small-loop electromagnetic (EM) survey using multi-frequencies in parallel with electrical resistivity survey to delineate the leakage of leachate through the shallow soil layer at a waste landfill in Jeju Island, and also with self-potential monitoring to detect the streaming potential produced by the movement of leachate. There were no evidences of leakage from waste landfill according to the results of the electrical resistivity survey and SP monitoring, and it was also true from the results of water quality analysis at stream around waste landfill periodically. On the other hand, the results of one-dimensional inversion of spatially-filtered small-loop EM survey data showed the anomalous zone of low resistivity with depth both around and inner waste landfill.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.309-315
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• 2002

Conventional electromagnetic (EM) method using small loops as a source and receiver has been used in detection of conductive buried objects like a metal detector or in qualitative estimation of the subsurface conductivity variation. Recently, however, since detection of buried objects and imaging of the subsurface conductivity distribution in a relatively conductive area are in a high demand for environmental and engineering purposes, the quantitative interpretation technique of EM data is actively studied. In this regard, we introduce a brief principle of EM survey and show an example of the detection of buried conductive material and imaging of the subsurface conductivity distribution based on data measured at a test survey area. Through this study, we show that multi-frequency EM surveys using small loops may be a good solution to give quick and detail information of subsurface in a conductive survey area.