Abstract The characterization of coastal aquifers is critical for managing freshwater resources threatened by urbanization, agriculture, and climate change. Traditional geophysical techniques, such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and seismic refraction tomography (SRT), provide insights into subsurface structures but can be limited by resolution and interpretational ambiguities. This study introduces a novel approach that combines ERT, SRT and time-domain induced polarization (TDIP) data in a petrophysical framework, including both a direct transformation model (N3PM) and a comprehensive petrophysical joint inversion (PJI) scheme. By integrating these complementary datasets, our method enhances the high-resolution imaging of coastal aquifers, enabling more accurate identification of the water table level, porosity, and salinization. We tested this approach on a synthetic example and two field sites in the Pontina Plain, Italy. R, where results demonstrated that N3PM allows for a fast petrophysical screening where prior knowledge is available and the contribution of surface conduction is properly acknowledged, whilst the joint inversion, particularly with the inclusion of TDIP, ensured the reliable characterization of aquifer layers, capturing fine-grained and saline-impacted zones. This approach advances the non-invasive, quantitative assessment of aquifers, offering a valuable tool for groundwater management in coastal regions.
Peppo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.