Geophysical conceptualization of a fractured sedimentary bedrock riverbed using ground-penetrating radar and induced electrical conductivity

Abstract

Summary Bedrock rivers exhibit very different hydraulic and ecological regimes compared to alluvial rivers. Groundwater–surface water interaction in rivers that flow directly on sedimentary bedrock surfaces with exposed fracture and conduit networks is generally based on alluvial river conceptual models. However, the dual and triple porosity systems of sedimentary rock (e.g., matrix, fractures and vugs) leads to highly variable hydraulic pathways and groundwater velocities that, in turn, result in processes that are very different than those derived from alluvial concepts. Relative to alluvial rivers there has been very little direct examination of dynamic interactions, such as fluxes, groundwater velocities, and mechanisms affecting water quality across the channel interface; this is largely because bedrock rivers are difficult to instrument and monitor given their heterogeneous and anisotropic flow systems. In this study, we evaluate the capacity of non-invasive, low impact ground-penetrating radar and frequency-domain electromagnetic induction methods capable of detecting discrete fracture and conduit features, mapping complex distributions of lithostratigraphic interfaces, and providing information about formation properties along a partially exposed section of the Eramosa River located in Ontario, Canada. Geophysical data are supported by direct hydrogeologic and geologic information obtained from a nearby borehole piezometer cluster and a continuous 15 m rock core. Valuable insights were gained into the lateral extent and geometry of structurally-controlled whydrostratigraphic units (e.g., dissolution-enhanced fractures, epikarst and karst features), which are expected to strongly influence groundwater and surface water interaction along the channel. An integrated application of GPR and EMI methods was necessary to fully understand the complex geometry of geologic boundaries and karst features within the shallow bedrock aquifer. The identification of epikarst below fluvial sediment and its relationship to the formation of dissolution features, exposed fracture conduit networks and sinkholes represents the basis for understanding the dynamic hydraulic responses between the surface water and the shallow bedrock aquifer.