Aquifer hydraulic conductivity estimation from surface geoelectrical measurements for Krauthausen test site, Germany

Abstract

The physical explanation is presented for two types of theoretical equations which encompass a direct and an inverse relationship between the hydraulic conductivity and electrical resistivity of an aquifer. Using the theory of direct current (DC) resistivity prospecting, it is shown that a direct relation exists if the bulk of the current flow is in the vertical direction, whereas the inverse relation exists if the current is in the horizontal direction. Consequently, the relation in question is direct in the case of a relatively conducting basement and inverse in the case of a comparatively resistive basement. Then, the aquifer hydraulic conductivity for the hydrogeologically well-studied area of Krauthausen in Germany is estimated by two different techniques using surface geoelectrical data. The estimated values are compared with those conventionally determined by a pump test experiment and it can be concluded that the estimation is better whenever geoelectrical data are used.