Relating mass movement with electrical self-potential signals

Abstract

SUMMARY Landslides present a latent danger to lives and infrastructure worldwide. Often such mass movements are caused by increasing pore pressure. The electrical self-potential (SP) method has been applied in a broad range of monitoring studies. When fluid flow is involved the most relevant source of SP is the streaming potential, caused by the flow of an electrolyte through porous media with electrically charged internal surfaces. We experimentally investigated the SP signal associated with deformation of partially saturated soil. For partly saturated scenarios, we observed an SP signature correlated with the mass movement. In dry experiments, we did not observe any significant change in the electric signal. Results of numerical simulations match with the experimental observations when assuming a local and temporary alteration of the hydraulic pressure due to the sliding mass. Our findings suggest that SP measurements can be used to observe mass movement triggered by fluid pressure variations through the streaming potential.

3D Numerical Simulations of Non-Volcanic CO2 Degassing in Active Fault Zones Based on Geophysical Surveys

“…The SP method aims to retrieve the distribution of buried anomalous electric charge concentrations by measurements of potential differences occurring naturally on the ground surface (e.g., Parasnis 1997;Sharma 2002;Revil and Jardani 2013; and the references therein). The main SP sources are ascribable to redox reactions around ore deposits or metallic bodies, electrochemical processes taking place between regions of different ionic concentrations, electrokinetic phenomena generated by underground fluid and heat fluxes (e.g., Sen 1991;Birch 1998;Naudet et al 2004;Revil and Leroy 2004;Castermant et al 2008;Heinze et al 2019). In particular, the streaming potential, due to the fluid circulation along pores and/or permeable fractures systems, proved a key parameter in the geothermal and hydrogeological research (e.g., Ishido et al 1983;Fournier 1989;Revil et al 1999Revil et al , 2006Fagerlund and Heinson 2003), in seismic and volcanic activity forecasting (e.g., Mitzutani et al 1976;Di Maio and Patella 1991;Di Maio et al 2000;Zlotnicki and Nishida 2003;Grobbe and Barde-Cabusson 2019), and, recently, in detection and monitoring CO 2 degassing processes along active fault zones due to the direct link observed between the SP anomalous pattern and the carbon dioxide release in porous and fractured rock systems (see Sect.…”

Apparatus for the Measurement of Electromagnetic Activity of Landslides

“…Under free space conditions, the relationship [34] becomes true: Using relation (13) in formula (12) we get:…”

“…The surveys look for areas with relatively low resistivity, which is associated with increased water accumulation, promoting the development of landslide movements [11]. Commonly used in landslide monitoring is the eigenpotential method [12]. The eigenpotential method is often used in conjunction with monitoring the resistivity of the landslide body [13].…”

A fast imaging method for the interpretation of self-potential data with application to geothermal systems and mineral investigation

“…The self-potential method has advanced 2 – 15 and been widely used for graphite, sulfide, magnetite, uranium and gold prospecting 16 – 22 , mapping paleo-shear zones 23 , 24 , archaeological investigations 25 , geotechnical engineering 26 , cave discovery 27 , coal fires detection 28 – 30 , and monitor water movement 31 – 33 . The electrical self-potential method has been applied to a broad range of monitoring studies, like landslides or mass movements that happened by cumulative pore pressure in the rock 34 .…”