Characterization of shallow karst using electrical resistivity imaging in a limestone mining area

The Guangxi area is famous for its high degree of karstification due to a long period of groundwater erosion and the development of fracture networks. Karst collapse appeared during the mining process and caused many environmental problems. Applying electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) is the most cost-effective method to study the characteristic of the subsurface karst environment. In this area, more than 24 km of ERI profiles around a mining area is carried out to present the development of karst which will be used to evaluate the effects on the ground water and the surrounding environment. The area represents a classical limestone rock which is of high quality and is used for cement production. In this study, the ERI is used to determine the geometry of the karst range at depth. The results are in good agreement with drilling experiments. The ERI survey provided near-surface resistivity information, which is very useful for establishing the geometry and the position of potential karst.