The self-potential (SP) method is widely used in seepage evaluation hydrological studies to monitor the integrity of infrastructure such as dams, sea dikes, and other types of flood control devices because the electric signals that are measured are directly related to seepage rate. At leaking areas along sea dikes, large SP anomalies can be generated by the rising and falling of tides. Unfortunately, SP data are often contaminated with several types of noise, such as that from drifting electrodes, telluric disturbances, and external electrical noise. Furthermore, SP signals can have high levels of spatial variability due to heterogeneity in lateral resistivity at the locations where the electrodes are installed. Because of these issues, it is very difficult to correlate the measured SP voltages with the streaming potentials associated with groundwater flows at particular points in time. To alleviate these problems, we developed a simple but effective interpretation method for SP monitoring data that involves subtracting consecutive SP voltages collected at different time points from a particular monitoring station. This subtracting procedure is able to effectively reduce spurious SP anomalies caused by electrode drift, change in resistivity, and other types of interference. Therefore, any changes observed in SP measurements over certain time frames were interpreted as resulting primarily from temporal changes in seepage flow. To demonstrate the performance of this method, we analysed SP monitoring data measured at a sea dike located on the southern coast of Korea. Our results confirmed that the SP interpretation method is able to explain changes in streaming potentials depending on the tide change over time and to detect the horizontal location of anomalous seepage zones along the sea dike.
The increasing frequency of droughts has been increasing the necessity of utilizing subsurface dams as reliable groundwater resources in areas where it is difficult to supply adequate agricultural water using only surface water. In this study, we analyzed the current status and actual conditions of five agricultural subsurface dams as well as the effect of obtaining additional groundwater from subsurface dams operated as one aspect of the sustainable integrated water management system. Based on the construction methods and functions of each subsurface dam, the five subsurface dams are classified into three types such as those that derive water from rivers, those that prevent seawater intrusion, and those that link to a main irrigation canal. The classification is based on various conditions including topography, reservoir location, irrigation facilities, and river and alluvial deposit distributions. Agricultural groundwater upstream of subsurface dams is obtained from four to five radial collector wells. From the study, the total amount of groundwater recovered from the subsurface dam is turned out to be about 29~44% of the total irrigation water demand, which is higher than that of general agricultural groundwater of about 4.6%.
국내의 경우에는 농업용 지하댐 건설이 활발히 이루어
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