Electrical properties of rocks and geoelectrical resistivity method have been discussed in this chapter, in which the results of an electrical survey over the sedimentary terrain of the central zone of Panama (Central America) are presented. This study therefore includes (i) a petrophysical study with the aim of relating its electrical resistivity values with the volumetric water contents, (ii) an electrical resistivity imaging (2D inversion), and (iii) an electrical sounding (1D inversion) for detecting the water table and its corresponding stratigraphy and variation with time. Two datasets for these last methods have been developed with the aim of monitoring the percentage changes in model resistivity. Petrophysical tests show good fits between resistivity and volumetric water content and known parameters for rocks and soils. 1D and 2D inversions show a significant reliability with the stratigraphic information obtained from a borehole and strong changes caused by rainy season in this tropical zone.
Part of the book: Geophysics