Time-lapse multi-frequency EMI mapping and ERT profiling for the characterization of soil water behavior in mountain catchments.

Hydrological processes along mountain hillslopes involve complex interaction between soil storage and surface and subsurface flow, drainage and evapotranspiration. To capture this complexity, time-lapse extensive and intensive measurements are needed, potentially capable of providing spatially dense information in 3D and time frequent data. To this end, hydro-geophysical methods (ground penetration radar, GPR, electromagnetic induction, EMI and electrical resistivity tomography, ERT) based on electrical and electromagnetic laws are widely used as they naturally link to the electrical properties of soil moisture. ERT produces, especially in time lapse mode and using permanent installations, very detailed images of the water dynamics along hillslopes. While ERT requires galvanic contact with the ground, and thus relatively slow operations, EMI can be applied over large areas in a very short time. This method has been used for decades, mainly to produce apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) maps. Only recently, inversion of EMI data as a function of depth has become a viable practice.

In this work, we present two cases of hillslope monitoring using non-invasive methods, both performed as part of the WATZON project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR). The first case is the Mediterranean catchment of the Alento River, in southern Italy. The monitoring was carried out using 7 different EMI surveys, acquired in multifrequency mode (FDEM) between August 2020 and December 2021. The purpose of this survey was to characterize the structure of the basin’s subsoil within the first few meters, as well as to record the variation of electrical conductivity (EC) associated with seasonal variations. The second case is related to the Apennines catchment of the Re Della Pietra, located at the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna in central Italy. The monitoring was carried out through 6 different EMI surveys, acquired in multifrequency mode (FDEM) between August 2020 and May 2021. The purpose of this survey was to characterize the structure of the basin’s subsoil within the first few meters, as well as to record the variation of electrical conductivity (EC) associated with seasonal variations. Furthermore, ERT measurements were carried out along a fixed line on the ground, according to the direction of the maximum slope. The combination of EMI and ERT proved particularly effective in delineating the hydrologic dynamics of the hillslope.