Mapping groundwater contamination using dc resistivity and VLF geophysical methods; a case study

Abstract Geophysical methods can be helpful in mapping areas of contaminated soil and groundwater. Electrical resistivity and very low-frequency electromagnetic induction (VLF) surveys were carried out at a site of shallow hydrocarbon contamination in Utah County, Utah. Previously installed monitoring wells facilitated analysis of water chemistry to enhance interpretation of the geophysical data. The electrical resistivity and VLF data correlate well, and vertical cross-sections and contour maps generated from these data helped map the contaminant plume, which was delineated as an area of high interpreted resistivities.