CSAMT

High Resolution Resistivity Sounding

T x Dip ole
Controlled Source Audio-frequency Magnetotellurics (CSAMT) is a high resolution resistivity method
L e ng th a pp r x . 1 .5 k m commonly used in minerals exploration, and it also has applications in environmental and engineering
problems in low resistivity environments or when deep data are required. Logistically, CSAMT has
ZM G -3 0

VR many advantages over some of the other resistivity methods, since it is a far-field electromagnetic
X M T -3 2
G GT -3 0 technique. The field crew is usually small (3 or 4 people), the method works well in noisy environments,
Tr a ns m itter
E le c tr od es and survey speed is relatively fast if a multi-
T r an
s mit
ter-t
channel receiver is used. Successful
o -re
3 to c e iv
7 km er D is
environmental projects include groundwater
tan
ce
location, mapping contaminant plumes,
monitoring in-situ leaching operations at mines,
and locating brine injection leaks in oil fields.
The example below shows a CSAMT line across a leach dump at an active copper
mine in the southwestern USA. Leaching fluids are usually very conductive, and are Ex

therefore very good targets for resistivity methods. CSAMT data were used to G D P -32

determine whether the leaching fluids were moving uniformly through the dump, or CSAM T Coil

whether the fluids were moving along preferred flow paths, leaving some areas un- Hy

leached. Fluids escaping the dump into the pre-dump geology could also be detected. g)
c in
The saturated areas are clearly evident in contrast to the pre-dump, higher resistivity s
io n
t a t e rs
sp a Re ce ive r A rra y
(
le me t (u p to 15 s tat ion s s im u lta ne o u s ly)
geology, and the new lift of un-leached material (north of station 15.5) is obvious. i po
r d o 50
i ve 10 t
R e ce

P O TS
K now n C ross S ecti on of Le ach D um p
Sou th
Ed g e o f Du mp a t 2.5 No rt h of s ta tio n 15 .5: N ew lay er
Sta ti on N umb ers
Kn o wn fa ul t f r om o f m a te rial (n ot y et lea ch ed ) o n Sh allo w st an d in g w at er , No rth
0.5 pr e -d um p g eo lo g y. st at io n 17 .7 to 1 9.9
Su rfa ce o f D um p to p of o ld er , l ea ch ed m a ter ia l.
1.5 3 9 .5
44 00 2 2 .5 2 3 .5 2 4 .5 2 5 .5 2 6 .5 2 7 .5 2 8 .5 2 9 .5 3 0 .5 3 1 .5 3 2 .5 3 3 .5 3 4 .5 3 5 .5 3 6 .5 3 7 .5 3 8 .5
2.5 1 5 .5 1 6 .5 1 7 .5 1 8 .5 1 9 .5 2 0 .5 2 1 .5
3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 7.5 8.5 9.5 1 0 .5 1 1 .5 1 2 .5 1 3 .5 1 4 .5

43 00
D u mp M ater ial (act ively b eing le ach ed)
El evatio n (ft)

42 00 P re-d u mp To po gr ap hy

41 00

P re-d um p M ater ial

39 00
75 00 76 00 77 00 78 00 79 00 80 00 81 00 82 00 83 00 84 00 85 00 86 00 87 00 88 00 89 00 90 00 91 00 92 00 93 00 94 00 95 00 96 00 97 00 98 00 99 00 10000 10100 10200 10300 10400 10500 10600 10700 10800 10900 11000 11100 11200 11300

C SA M T Sm o oth-m odel Inver sio n R e sults

o h m -m et er s
44 00

43 00

42 00
P re-du m p T op og rap hy

41 00

40 00

76 00 78 00 80 00 82 00 84 00 86 00 88 00 90 00 92 00 94 00 96 00 98 00 10 000 10 200 10 400 10 600 10 800 11 000 11 200