• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1-17
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• 2021

Self-potential (SP) surveys measure naturally occurring differences in electrical potential in the absence of artificial sources and have been applied to various fields since the first application in mineral explorations. Among various causes of SP occurrences, streaming potential is generated by the flow of groundwater, and makes SP surveys suitable for the exploration of groundwater table fluctuation, fractures, sinkholes and landslide occurrences. Recently, there has been many studies that applied SP surveys to monitor water leakage through dikes and embankments. In this review paper, we first review the characteristics and theoretical backgrounds of streaming potential in saturated or unsaturated porous media to introduce it in the embankment among various application field. After the review of the background theory, we review the past cases of field SP surveys on dikes and embankments and also the characteristics of field streaming potential data in the surveys. Further, by analyzing past studies of qualitative as well as quantitative interpretation of SP survey data, we show the possibility of quantitative interpretation of streaming potential data obtained on dikes and embankments. Consequently, it is hope that this review paper helps researches on SP surveys on dikes and embankments, and provides basis for interpretation methods of the SP data to identify leaked area and further leakage rate (or permeability).

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.157-174
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• 2013

The present study is devoted to the validation of a new method for in line electrokinetic characterisation of deposits on membrane surfaces. This method is based upon simultaneous measurements of transversal streaming potential and permeates flux at constant pressure before and during the deposit formation. Dead-end filtration experiments were conducted with negative flat membranes forming a narrow slit channel, negative hollow fiber membranes and mono-dispersed suspensions of (negatively charged) polystyrene latex and (positively charged) melamine particles at various concentrations. It was observed that the overall streaming potential coefficient increased in absolute value with the deposited latex quantity, whereas it decreased and changed of sign during the filtration of melamine suspensions. By considering a resistance-in-series model, the streaming potential coefficient of the single deposit ($SP_d$) was deduced from the electrokinetic and hydraulic measurements. The independence of $SP_d$ with respect to growth kinetics validates the measurement method and the reliability of the proposed procedure for calculating $SP_d$. It was found that $SP_d$ levelled off much more quickly when filtration was performed through the slit channel. This different behaviour could result from a non-uniform distribution of the deposit thickness along the membrane given that the position of measuring electrodes is different between the two cells.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.41-46
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• 2015

The drag of the excess charge in an electrical double layer at the solid fluid interface due to water flow induces the streaming current, i.e., the streaming potential (SP). Here we introduce a sandbox experiment to study this hydroelectric coupling in case of a tracer test. An acrylic tank was filled up with homogeneous sand as a sand aquifer, and the upstream and downstream reservoirs were connected to the sand aquifer to control the hydraulic gradient. Under a steady-state water flow condition, a tracer test was performed in the sandbox with the help of peristaltic pump, and tracer samples were collected from the same interval of five screened wells in the sandbox. During the tracer test, SP signals resulting from the distribution of 20 nonpolarizable electrodes were measured at the top of the tank by a multichannel meter. The results showed that there were changes in the observed SP after injection of tracer, which indicated that the SP was likely to be related to the solute transport.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.231-243
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• 2018

Streaming potential (SP) arises from fluid flow through effectively connected pores. From this potential, formation water information as well as fluid flow properties can be estimated. As micro particles being located in boundary between subsurface porous media and fluid are charged to form electrical double layer, fluid flow caused by several reasons generates SP, one of electrokinetic phenomena. Occurrence mechanism of SP is complex and signal strength is relatively weak compared to noise. However, application of self potential survey using SP to monitoring of formation fluid is expanding because of its' convenience of exploration without artificial source and repetitiveness of signal. This paper accounts for the occurrence mechanism of SP studied before, including governing equations and analyzes previous various case studies of SP according to the change of physical properties of materials. It helps to increase understanding about SP and also lays the foundations of the application of SP to fields.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.223-231
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• 2015

Self-potential (SP) is sensitive to groundwater flow and there are many causes to generate SP. Among many mechanisms of SP, pore-fluid flow in porous media can generate potential without any external current source, which is referred to as electrokinetic potential or streaming potential. When calculating SP responses on the surface due to geothermal fluid within an engineered geothermal system (EGS) reservoir, SP anomaly is usually considered to be generated by fluid injection or production within the reservoir. However, SP anomaly can also result from geothermal water fluid within EGS reservoirs experiencing temperature changes between injection and production wells. For more precise simulation of SP responses, we developed an algorithm being able to take account of SP anomalies produced by not only water injection and production but also the fluid of geothermal water, based on three-dimensional finite-element-method employing tetrahedron elements; the developed algorithm can simulate electrical potential responses by both point source and volume source. After verifying the developed algorithm, we assumed a simple geothermal reservoir model and analyzed SP responses caused by geothermal water injection and production. We are going to further analyze SP responses for geothermal water in the presence of water production and injection, considering temperature distribution and geothermal water flow in the following research.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2003

To analyze the anisotropic characteristics of fractured aquifer, variations of streaming potential were measured during and after pumping over several wells at the two test sites. Surface electrical resistivity survey, normal resistivity logging, and slug test were performed at the wells to identify the hydrogeological structure. Applying the results to the recently suggested model, the aquifer of the two test sites showed confined characteristics. Anisotropic direction appeared in using equi-potential maps from self-potential monitoring results matched well with the results of the hydrogeological test. The self-potential monitoring method adopted in this study would be useful for providing a more reliable information on the anisotropy of aquifer in the pumping test at single well.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.291-296
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• 2007

We measured potential waveform of load, displacement, micro electric signal generated by rock and mortar fracture using PXI A/D Converter. The rock type used for measurement was used granite, limestone and sandstone, and mortar specimen. we made measuring equipment of physical properties to confirm basic information of physical properties, measured physical properties of rock engineering, electric resistivity and seismic velocity. Potential waveform system was built using PXI A/D Converter and measured potential waveform of load, displacement, micro-electric signal generated using this during uniaxial compressive test by the specimen finished such test of physical properties. Using the saturated rock and mortar specimen, micro electric signal increased, and It didn't increase a signal in dried rock and mortar specimen according as load and strain rate increases. But signal also increased in saturated or dried specimen in case of sandstone. It was possible to check the close correlation relationship the signal and fracture behavior by a compressive load as the signal of fracture position was increased bigger than the other position. It was also possible to check the correlation relationship between physical properties and micro geo-electric signal.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.92-96
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• 2005

Comprehensive field surveys, including various hydrogeological and geophysical methods, were carried out to appraise the applicability of those methods to a leakage problem at the Sandong earth fill dam in southwestern Korea. The methods applied in the fold site were tracer tests, monitoring of drawdown and leakage with discharge of reservoir water, electrical resistivity surveys using the dipole-dipole array, self-potential (SP), and temperature logging methods. The leakage pattern in the reservoir wall was demonstrated by hydrogeological methods and was further clarified by the geophysical surveys. Leakage turned out to be through the right abutment of the reservoir wall. In this study, we conformed that the electrical resistivity method is effective in detecting the zones favorable to leakage, and SP methods are useful for delineating the leakage pathways themselves, because leaks generate strong streaming-potential anomalies.

• 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.