Electrical resistivity response due to variation in embankment shape and reservoir levels

The safety of the center-core type of fill dam structure was assessed by examining the effects of the distortion of electrical response verified in terms of two-dimensional (2D) apparent resistivity and its inverted sections from three-dimensional (3D) modeling for the embankment. The distortion effect is due to 2D interpretation of the 3D structure of the embankment. From the analysis, it was found that water level was correctly described by the resistivity section around the middle part rather than each side at the end of the embankment. This is due to the 3D terrain effect when the material of the embankment is assumed to be horizontally uniform. In addition, when the slope of the outer rock-fill section is set as uniform, the resistivity section is more similar for sharper center-core slopes. On the other hand, when the rock-fill slope is steep, the resistivity section shows the water level at a lower position than the real one, and the 3D distortion effect at the end of the embankment is enhanced.