Geophysical characterization of a sinkhole region : a study toward understanding geohazards in the karst geosites

The outstanding geosites in Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, Thailand are mainly karst topography. Sinkhole which is originated from the dissolution of karst rocks by groundwater or acidic rainwater is one of the potential natural disasters in these geosites. To gain the confident among geotourism, detecting karst features, cavities and surficial dissolution is crucial in risk assessment and sustainable geopark management. As a part of geohazard assessment, non-invasive geophysical methods were applied for detecting near-surface defects and karst features. In this study, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), seismic tomography and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) have been integrated to understand the mechanism of an existing sinkhole formation in Satun Geopark region. ERT appeared to be an effective approach to investigate the cavity development at shallow subsurface. MASW and seismic tomography were combined to help constrain the interpretation of lithology and karst features in vicinity of the sinkhole. The results indicated that the sinkhole occurrence in this area was probably developed by forming of cavity due to an increased dissolution of the fractured limestone bedrock. This carbonate layer is in contact with the overlying groundwater and weathering shale or cohesive soil layer. The changing of water table and infiltration of surface water by heavy rainfall allowed for a sudden vertical downward of overlying sediments into the empty voids, leading to the sinkhole hazard

3D Modeling of CO2 Geological Storage of Songkhla Sub-Basins in the Lower Gulf of Thailand

The CO2 geological storage of is a one high efficiency for CO2 disposal method from the energy sector especially production of electricity by using fossil fuels. This method can help mitigate global warming will be occurring. The first aim of article to study a construction 3D geological model for assessment CO2 storage capacity and direction of CO2 movement, case in the Songkhla Sub-basins in the Lower Gulf of Thailand. The Sonkhla sub-basins consist of Bua-Ban, Benjarong and Songkhla. In the article focus on Bua-Ban was devided by Songkhla Lower Miocene (SLM) and Songkhla Lower Oligocene (SLO). 3D geological CO2 storage model of sites were constructed by a public data that will be accessed like a data consist of a depth structure map, geologic setting and reservoir properties. The second aims to study a risk of seismic hazard from CO2 injection by planning multi wells CO2 injection in the reservoir. As the results, the accumulation of CO2 storage capacity from 3D geological model from SLM and SLO approximate 5.69 Mton-CO2 based on 3D geological model was constructed by limit of data. 3D geological model can be used to investigation CO2 migration and pressure build up in the reservoir during CO2 injection on time lapse for protection risk of CO2 leaking out of reservoir. In addition, Songkhla sub-basins which site safety for seismic induced and effective geological CO2 storage based on injection rate of CO2 undertaken initial pressure. &nbsp

Landslide ground model development through integrated geoelectrical and seismic imaging in Thungsong district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

A ground model of a shallow landslide in rainfall-induced slope failure of Thungsong, Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand is developed through an integrated geophysical approach, utilising electrical resistivity tomography and P-wave seismic refraction tomography (SRT) methods. Those two methods were applied to assess landslide structure and study deformation mechanisms along four profiles. Beside the four profiles there is another profile, which was acquired near an borehole and used for the calibration with geological data. Our results show subsurface structures in terms of the ground model used to determine stratigraphic layers, zones of saturation or groundwater table, and significant differences between the landslide slip material and the underlying bedrock. The clay-rich zones (resistivity less than 500 Ωm) in the colluvium on the relatively steep slope, show enhanced potential for landslides. This silty clay plays an important role for landslide activation in this site. Moreover, a combination of steep slopes, shallow basement rocks overlain by clay-rich colluvium, and seasonally high rain fall leads to landslides in the region. The ground model produced by geophysical imaging for this region achieves a comprehensive understanding of the structure and lithology of a complex landslide system and overcomes the limitations of remote-sensing data or isolated intrusive sampling techniques alone

Landslide assessment through integrated geoelectrical and seismic methods: a case study in Thungsong site, southern Thailand

Many landslides can cause significant damage to infrastructure, property, and human life. To study landslide structure and processes, geophysical techniques are most productive when employed in combination with other survey and monitoring tools, such as intrusive sampling. Here, the integration of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and seismic refraction tomography (SRT) methods is used to assess landslides in Thungsong district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, the south of Thailand, where is a hilly and seasons of prolonged rainfall region. The 2D cross-plot analysis of P-wave velocity and resistivity values obtained by these two methods is introduced to identify potential landslide-prone zones in this region. The results of the 2D cross-plot model reveal detailed image of the subsurface conditions, highlighting areas of low P-wave velocity (lower than 600 m/s) and low resistivity (lower than 600 Ωm). These areas are indicative of weak zone and are potential to be sliding materials. Moreover, an intrusive sampling data from boreholes is also used for the calibration and validation geophysical data with geological data. This can improve the accuracy of landslide assessment and develop effective mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of landslides in this area. In addition of the 2D cross-plot, the volume of sliding material is also determined from the difference of the surface and slipping plane elevations. The volume calculation of sliding material is roughly 33447.76 m3. This approach provides a preliminary tool for landslide studies and monitoring landslides in this region, thus enabling an improved understanding of slope failure processes in this context, and the basis of a landslide mitigation strategy in the future

Landslide assessment through integrated geoelectrical and seismic methods: a case study in Thungsong site, southern Thailand

Many landslides can cause significant damage to infrastructure, property, and human life. To study landslide structure and processes, geophysical techniques are most productive when employed in combination with other survey and monitoring tools, such as intrusive sampling. Here, the integration of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and seismic refraction tomography (SRT) methods is used to assess landslides in Thungsong district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, the south of Thailand, where is a hilly and seasons of prolonged rainfall region. The 2D cross-plot analysis of P-wave velocity and resistivity values obtained by these two methods is introduced to identify potential landslide-prone zones in this region. The results of the 2D cross-plot model reveal detailed image of the subsurface conditions, highlighting areas of low P-wave velocity (lower than 600 m/s) and low resistivity (lower than 600 Ωm). These areas are indicative of weak zone and are potential to be sliding materials. Moreover, an intrusive sampling data from boreholes is also used for the calibration and validation geophysical data with geological data. This can improve the accuracy of landslide assessment and develop effective mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of landslides in this area. In addition of the 2D cross-plot, the volume of sliding material is also determined from the difference of the surface and slipping plane elevations. The volume calculation of sliding material is roughly 33447.76 m3. This approach provides a preliminary tool for landslide studies and monitoring landslides in this region, thus enabling an improved understanding of slope failure processes in this context, and the basis of a landslide mitigation strategy in the future

2D and 3D Seismic Surveying at the CO2SINK Project Site, Ketzin, Germany: The Potential for Imaging the Shallow Subsurface

Seismic traveltime inversion, traveltime tomography and seismic reflection techniques have been applied for two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) data acquired in conjunction with site characterization and monitoring aspects at a carbon dioxide (CO2) geological storage site at Ketzin, Germany (the CO2SINK project). Conventional seismic methods that focused on investigating the CO2 storage and caprock formations showed a poor or no image of the upper 150 m. In order to fill this information gap, an effort on imaging the shallow subsurface at a potentially risky area at the site is the principal goal of this thesis. Beside this objective, a seismic source comparison from a 2D pilot study for acquisition parameter testing at the site found a weight drop source suitable with respect to the signal penetration, frequency content of the data and minimizing time and cost for 3D data acquisition. For the Ketzin seismic data, the ability to obtain high-quality images is limited by the acquisition geometry, source-generated noise and time shifts due to near-surface effects producing severe distortions in the data. Moreover, these time shifts are comparable to the dominant periods of the reflections and to the size of structures to be imaged. Therefore, a combination of seismic refraction and state-of-the-art processing techniques, including careful static corrections and more accurate velocity analysis, resulted in key improvements of the images and allowed new information to be extracted. The results from these studies together with borehole information, hydrogeologic models and seismic modeling have been combined into an integrated interpretation. The boundary between the Quaternary and Tertiary unit has been mapped. The internal structure of the Quaternary sediments is likely to be complicated due to the shallow aquifer/aquitard complex, whereas the heterogeneity in the Tertiary unit is due to rock alteration associated with fault zones. Some of the major faults appear to project into the Tertiary unit. These findings are important for understanding the potentially risky anticline crest and can be used as a database for the future monitoring program at the site

Joint analysis of shear wave velocity from SH-wave refraction and MASW techniques for SPT-N estimation

Horizontally polarized shear wave (SH) refraction and multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) methods have been carried out in Hatyai City, southern Thailand, a pilot study for site classification, part of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). The objectives of this study are the comparison of the efficiencies of different shear wave velocity (Vs) determination techniques and the use of Vs measurements of the prediction of standard penetration resistance (SPT-N). Good correlation between all Vs profiles and SPT-N values and local lithology are observed. However, there are systematic differences between SH-refraction based-Vs and MASW based-Vs, which might be explained by possible converted waves, limitations of the assumptions used, poor quality of the acquired data, and limitations of the inversion procedures of the methods applied. From the integrated use of Vs from both methods an empirical formula to describe the correlation between Vs and SPT-N values has been proposed and can be used to estimate geotechnical parameters in areas where no borehole or geophysical investigation exist

Comparison of seismic sources for shallow seismic: sledgehammer and pyrotechnics

The pyrotechnic materials are one of the types of the explosives materials which produce thermal, luminous or sound effects, gas, smoke and their combination as a result of a self-sustaining chemical reaction. Therefore, pyrotechnics can be used as a seismic source that is designed to release accumulated energy in a form of seismic wave recorded by tremor sensors (geophones) after its passage through the rock mass. The aim of this paper was to determine the utility of pyrotechnics for shallow seismic engineering. The work presented comparing the conventional method of seismic wave excitation for seismic refraction method like plate and hammer and activating of firecrackers on the surface. The energy released by various sources and frequency spectra was compared for the two types of sources. The obtained results did not determine which sources gave the better results but showed very interesting aspects of using pyrotechnics in seismic measurements for example the use of pyrotechnic materials in MASW

Landslide assessment through integrated geoelectrical and seismic methods: A case study in Thungsong site, southern Thailand

Many landslides can cause significant damage to infrastructure, property, and human life. To study landslide structure and processes, geophysical techniques are most productive when employed in combination with other survey and monitoring tools, such as intrusive sampling. Here, the integration of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and seismic refraction tomography (SRT) methods is used to assess landslides in Thungsong district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, the south of Thailand, where is a hilly and seasons of prolonged rainfall region. The 2D cross-plot analysis of P-wave velocity and resistivity values obtained by these two methods is introduced to identify potential landslide-prone zones in this region. The results of the 2D cross-plot model reveal detailed image of the subsurface conditions, highlighting areas of low P-wave velocity (lower than 600 m/s) and low resistivity (lower than 600 Ωm). These areas are indicative of weak zone and are potential to be sliding materials. Moreover, an intrusive sampling data from boreholes is also used for the calibration and validation geophysical data with geological data. This can improve the accuracy of landslide assessment and develop effective mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of landslides in this area. In addition of the 2D cross-plot, the volume of sliding material is also determined from the difference of the surface and slipping plane elevations. The volume calculation of sliding material is roughly 33447.76 m3. This approach provides a preliminary tool for landslide studies and monitoring landslides in this region, thus enabling an improved understanding of slope failure processes in this context, and the basis of a landslide mitigation strategy in the future

3D seismic traveltime tomography imaging of the shallow subsurface at the CO<inf>2</inf>SINK project site, Ketzin, Germany

A 3D reflection seismic survey was performed in 2005 at the Ketzin carbon dioxide (CO2) pilot geological-storage site (the CO2SINK project) near Berlin, Germany, to image the geological structure of the site to depths of about 1 km. Because of the acquisition geometry, frequency limitations of the source, and artefacts of the data processing, detailed structures shallower than about 150 m were unclear. To obtain structural images of the shallow subsurface, we applied 3D traveltime tomography to data near the top of the Ketzin anticline, where faulting is present. Understanding the shallow subsurface structure is important for long-term monitoring aspects of the project after CO2 has been injected into a saline aquifer at about 650-m depth. We used a 3D traveltime tomography algorithm based on a combination ofsolving for 3D velocity structure and static corrections in the inversion process to account for artefacts in the velocity structure because of smearing effects from the unconsolidated cover. The resulting velocity model shows low velocities of 800-1200 m/s in the uppermost shallow subsurface of the study area. The velocity reaches about 1800 m/s at a depth of 60-80 m. This coincides approximately with the boundary between Quaternary units, which contain the near-surface freshwater reservoir and the Tertiary clay aquitard. Correlation of tomographic images with a similarity attribute slice at 150 ms (about 150-m depth) indicates that at least one east-west striking fault zone observed in the reflection data might extend into the Tertiary unit. The more detailed images of the shallow subsurface from this study provided valuable information on this potentially risky area. © 2009 Society of Exploration Geophysicists. All rights reserved