Performance Evaluation for an Optimized Wenner (ALPHA, BETA, AND GAMMA) Arrays Using Synthetic Geological Models

Abstract

The study aimed at comparing the resolution and effectiveness of threeelectrode arrays (Wenner-α, Wenner-β, and Wenner-γ) in the 2D Electrical
resistivity method using Numerical analysis of geological models. Three
synthetic geological models that simulate block-one dyke and water layer were
generated using RES2DMOD software. The inversion used for the geological
models was based on smoothness-constrained least-square inversion which
was carried out with RES2DINV. The inversion results were imputed into
surfer11 software to examine the image resolution, thereafter absolute
percentage error (APE) was calculated to measure the effectiveness of the
arrays. The result for the block-one model shows that the Wenner-β array has
an APE of 14.45%, the Wenner-α array has an APE of 32.67%, and the
Wenner-γ array with an APE of 29.15%. Similarly, for the dyke model, the
Wenner-α array, Wenner-β array, and Wenner-γ array have an APE of 69.61%,
57.43%, and 45.49% respectively. However, the results for the water layer
model show that the Wenner-α array has an APE of 17.11%, the Wenner-β
array has an APE of 12.16%, and that the Wenner-γ array has an APE of
16.21%. Wenner-α is expected to produce an image with the best resolution
having the highest APE, henceforth APE suggests the resolution capacity of an
array.