Contact Form
news banner

Introduction to Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Time-Domain Induced Polarisation(TDIP or IP)

Comparative Analysis of Geophysical Survey Technologies

Technical AttributesElectrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT)Time-Domain Induced Polarization (TDIP/IP)
​Core Property ParametersResistivity ρ (Ω·m)
Measures material’s resistance to electric current		Chargeability ma (mV/V)
Quantifies polarization energy storage capacity
​Sensitivity IndicatorsMoisture/fluid content, porosity, salinity, lithologyClay minerals, metallic deposits, plastic contaminants, lithological features
​Data AcquisitionStainless steel electrode arrays
High-density configurations (e.g., 110 electrodes at 0.75m spacing)		Bipolar current pulses (2s injection + 2s decay monitoring)
Dipole-dipole array (n≤6)
​Resolution LimitationsDepth-dependent signal attenuation
Requires inversion model validation		Rapid signal decay impacts deep-layer data
Demands rigorous noise filtering and quality control

Key Environmental Engineering Applications

1. Landfill Characterization
ERT/IP integration enables precise identification of:

  • 3D contaminant plume mapping
  • Impermeable liner integrity assessment
  • Leachate migration pathways
  • Metallic/plastic waste localization

2. Hydrogeological Investigations

  • Groundwater contamination monitoring (salinization/organic pollutants)
  • Aquifer structure imaging
  • Geotechnical anomaly detection (karst cavities/fracture networks)

3. Mineral Resource Exploration

  • Sulfide deposit localization
  • Clay mineral distribution mapping
  • Industrial plastic waste identification

Principles: Data acquisition

  • Detection of 3 layers with contrasting electrical properties
  • Loss of resolution in depth and on the edges of the model
  • Like all “surface” geophysical methods, ERT and IP suffer from limited depth of investigation and loss of resolution with depth
  • Very important to ensure good quality of data and to quantify it
  • Always appraise the reliability of models

Pre-investigation design, feasibility and appraisal studies should always be conducted to test different survey conditions and configurations

Case Sturdies

Landfill characterization

ERT and IP profile:

•     110 electrodes spaced by 0.75 m

•     Electrical current injection was setup to 2 s (delay of 0.8 s and acquisition of 1.2 s) and voltage decay was measured for 2 s after current shut down

•     Dipole-Dipole with ‘n’ factor limited to 6

Conclusions

Summary of application on landfills

 ERTIP
Advantages•     Simple and robust •     High variability of electrical resistivity •     Cost-effective •     Sensitive to water content •     2D, 3D and 4D images•     Detection of disseminated minerals •     Sensitive to clay and metal particles/objects •     Potential for quantification •     2D, 3D and 4D images
Disadvantages•     Non-unicity •     Non-trivial modelling •     Geological overlap•     Same disadvantages as ERT •     Electrochemical phenomena are not yet well understood •     IP measures are slower and more expensive than ERT measures.

Explore Revolutionary GIM Series Now

Visit Product Page Now ：
DJF Series 5kW
DJF Series 10kW
Whether you’re engaged in environmental monitoring, mineral exploration, or urban underground space development, the DJF Series High-Power Digital DC Induced Polarization Measurement System. Our product page features:

  • Technical comparisons of full series (DJF Series 5kW/DJF Series 10kW)
  • Typical engineering configuration packages
  • Global case study video demonstrations

Explore Geotech Series Solutions

Discover our IP-Resistivity integrated systems at our web site, engineered for complex near-surface challenges.

RELATED POSTS