Subsurface water exploration in crystalline basement aquifers using geophysical methods

Abstract

Geophysical methods, particularly electroresistivity are becoming a major tool in subsurface water exploration as their use diminishes costs by detecting precisely the existence of water-prone structures and thus optimizing well location. This paper brings some technical and theoretical aspects of the electroresistivity method and details the procedures for the acquisition, processing and interpretation of data from crystalline basement aquifers. Results of a real case study are presented, from an area in the municipality of São José do Rio Pardo, São Paulo.