3D DC inversion, visualization, and processing of dense time-lapse data in fine domains applied to remediation monitoring

Abstract

Using electrical direct-current (DC) data to monitor the subsurface is an efficient solution for observing changes in the shallow subsurface. Recent advances in instrumentation enable the acquisition of large data sets over 3D domains in a reasonable time. We have developed an inversion approach capable of handling very large amounts of data on a finely discretized domain, which enables the delivery of time-lapse results of dense data acquisitions in a feasible time and with high resolution. To spatially represent 3D DC data, a visualization method is introduced that formally generalizes the focusing point of a common pseudosection in three dimensions. The method physically describes subsurface properties for simple geologic scenarios. In addition, the focusing points are used to design our 3D measuring protocol. We develop a DC data processing scheme using the full time-domain induced polarization (IP) waveform data by applying two novel physics-based criteria that enforce charge buildup and steady state. These criteria are tested on DCIP field data and find that 98% of the filtered DC data have less than 1% relative error. The 3D visualization method and inversion algorithm are evaluated on synthetic scenarios of 3D DC dense borehole data. Then, we indicate time-lapse results of DC field data acquired at an uncontaminated site where a remediation agent was injected at depth. The data are acquired with a new DCIP instrument capable of measuring dense data sets at fast acquisition times. Accounting for DCIP data acquisition, signal processing, and 3D inversion of 60,000 DC measurements, our results locate in 14 h the 3D spread of the remediation agent in a [Formula: see text] volume.