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ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY TOMOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTION TO NON-INVASIVE LANDSLIDE CHARACTERIZATION IN DAMBOVITA COUNTY (ROMANIA)

F. Chitea

Abstract

An area prone to landslide, threatening a small accumulation dam and a near-by landfill, was investigated by means of electrical resistivity. The variation of electrical parameters (electrical resistivity and chargeability factor) of soils and rocks is seldom used as a diagnostic tool in areas prone to mass movements. When the mentioned parameters are acquired using a multielectrode measuring system, the subsurface characterization is highly enhanced, considerably decreasing the number of invasive tests necessary for its evaluation. Also, for the areas where the deployment of a drilling system is technically limited, the geoelectrical investigations might become the only option for gathering valuable information on the in-depth structure and its dynamic behavior in response to triggering factors. The study area was investigated by the electrical tomography technique (ERT) with profiles striking along the mass movement main sliding direction, as well as perpendicular to it. The ERT results were interpreted by correlating the identified anomalies with the lithologies visible in outcrops. There were delineated 3 distinct rock types (breccia, sandstones and shales) with different contributions to this type of geo-hazard evolution. The highest resistivity values were correlated with breccia blocks, characterized by low permeability, while the lowermost resistivity values (<10 Ohm*m) were related to moistened shales. The measurements were conducted using variable equidistance between electrodes (1-3-10m) in order to be able to characterize the shallow depth mass movement, as well to look for deeper triggering mechanisms (down to 40m depth). The ERT results allowed to delineate, near the slopes base, distinctive and well developed sectors, characterized by high moisture content and thus posing a threat to the whole slope stability. At higher elevation levels, the near-surface soil detachment is rather triggered by excessive soil moisture content combined with the removal of vegetation.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2019/1.1/s05.098

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