Delineation of fracture zone for groundwater using combined inversion technique

This paper deals with severe issue of groundwater crisis over a part of hard rock terrain in the premises of Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. The goal of this study is delineation and mapping of fractured rock mass for groundwater exploration. Generally, fractured rock formation is the only source of groundwater in hard rock terrain. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey was conducted along three profiles over different parts of CIMFR premises using Wenner–Schlumberger and dipole–dipole arrays. Combined inversion of both arrays has been carried out during data analysis for better delineation of fracture rock masses in the complex geological environment. Two water-saturated fracture zones have been identified for the availability of groundwater, which has been confirmed by direct borehole drilling. This proves the effectiveness of ERT survey by combined inversion of both arrays for delineation of fracture zones.