Publication Date:
2019-02-01
Description:
Electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques are becoming
increasingly popular for near-surface coastal geophysical applications.
However, few studies have explored the capabilities and
limitations of portable multifrequency EMI profilers for mapping
large-scale (101–102 km) barrier island hydrogeology. The
purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of groundwater
dynamics on apparent conductivity σa to separate the
effects of hydrology and geology from the σa signal. Shore-normal
and alongshore surveys were performed within a highly
conductive barrier island/wind-tidal flat system at Padre Island
National Seashore, Texas, USA. Assessments of instrument calibration
and signal drift suggest that σa measurements are stable,
but vary with height and location across the beach. Repeatability
tests confirm σa values using different boom orientations collected
during the same day are reproducible. Measurements over
a 12 h tidal cycle suggest that there is a tide-dependent step
response in σa, complicating data processing and interpretation.
Shore-normal surveys across the barrier/wind-tidal flats show that
σa is roughly negatively correlated with topography and these
relationships can be used for characterizing different coastal habitats.
For all surveys, σa increases with decreasing frequency.
Alongshore surveys performed during different seasons and
beach states reveal a high degree of variability in σa. Here, it is
argued that surveys collected during dry conditions characterize
the underlying framework geology, whereas these features are
somewhat masked during wet conditions. Differences in EMI signals
should be viewed in a relative sense rather than as absolute
magnitudes. Small-scale heterogeneities are related to changing
hydrology, whereas low-frequency signals at the broadest scales
reveal variations in framework geology. Multiple surveys should
be done at different times of the year and tidal states before geologic
interpretations can confidently be made from EMI surveys
in coastal environments. This strategy enables the geophysicist to
separate the effects of hydrology and geology from the σa signal.
Type:
Article
,
PeerReviewed
Format:
text