Authors
Jonathan E Chambers, Paul B Wilkinson, Alan L Weller, Philip I Meldrum, Richard D Ogilvy, Simon Caunt
Publication date
2007/8/1
Journal
Journal of Applied Geophysics
Volume
62
Issue
4
Pages
324-337
Publisher
Elsevier
Description
Hidden mineshafts located in urban areas are a significant problem across much of the industrialized world. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a technique that can detect and characterize hidden mine entries by exploiting resistivity contrasts between the shaft and surrounding materials, resulting from either compositional or structural differences. A case study is presented in which both surface and crosshole 3D ERT surveys are used to image a hidden backfilled mineshaft at a built environment site, situated on Carboniferous Lower Coal Measures strata in the UK. Backfilled shafts generally present the greatest challenge for detection using geophysical methods, as contrasts between the fill and bedrock are typically low compared to air or water-filled conditions. Nevertheless, the shaft in this case was identified by both the surface and crosshole 3D surveys. The shaft appeared as a strongly resistive anomaly …
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