Imaging of Karstic Carbonates Using Electrical Resistivity Data at Malia, Crete, Greece

Abstract

This work involves the use of resistivity and borehole data for the delineation of weak zones in karstic carbonates at Malia, Crete, Greece, where two water reservoirs will be constructed. Site M mostly consists of cretaceous carbonates belonging to the Tripolis zone while Site K consists of upper triassic carbonates of the Tripolis zone. Electrical tomography data were combined with seismic refraction and borehole data. Electrical tomography imaged karstic structures of the Tripolis carbonates at sites M and K. A 3D resistivity image was generated by inverting resistivity data collected along parallel lines on a grid at site M. At this site, electrical resistivity imaging delineated fractured and weathered limestone zones whose thickness ranges from 20 to 40 m. 2D ERT images of the northern part of site M indicate a major low resistivity anomaly. The formations at site K are mostly characterized as slightly weathered limestone (H) with higher RQD values (more than 60). The existing voids are small and the fractured zones exhibit limited extent at site K.