Sains Malaysiana 48(5)(2019): 945–963

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2019-4805-03

 

Characterization of a Proposed Quarry Site using Multi-Electrode Electrical Resistivity Tomography

(Pencirian Tapak Cadangan Kuari Menggunakan Tomografi Keberintangan Elektrik Multi-Elektrod)

 

JOHN STEPHEN KAYODE¹, MOHD HARIRI ARIFIN²* & MOHD NAWAWI³

 

¹Environmental Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

 

²Department of Geology, School of Environmental and Natural Resources Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

³Geophysics Unit, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

 

Received: 23 April 2018/Accepted: 22 February 2019

 

ABSTRACT

This research focuses on the delineation of subsurface basement granitic structures suitable for engineering construction materials for the sitting of quarry industry in the area. The key objective of the study was to locate and delineate the depths of burial to the subsurface granite rock bodies and the regolith thickness overlain the bedrock unit. 14 resistivity profile lines with a surveyed length of 200 m and electrode spacing of 5 m, were carried out with the application of electrical resistivity tomography software, to image the subsurface structural units around this area, utilizing pole-dipole electrode configurations method towards assisting the Engineers in obtaining information on the subsurface geological features in this part of the Peninsula Malaysia. The focus is on characterizing engineering construction materials suitable for sitting the quarry industry, determination of the longitudinal conductance and coefficient of anisotropy of subsurface lithological units that determines the competency of the bedrock underneath the area from the geoelectric parameters obtained through the interpretations of the RES2DINV ERT images. The depth of bedrock unit as delineated from the results ranged from about 5 m to 100 m while the resistivity values recorded was greater than 6000 Ω-m in most of the profiles. Groundwater bearing channels that would serve the factory needs was delineated alongside the granitic rock unit. These results make the subsurface granitic bedrock unit to be adjudged competent and suitable enough as quarry construction materials for sitting the factory in the area.

 

Keywords: Competency of bedrock; electrical resistivity tomography; quarry site; rocks anisotropy parameters

 

ABSTRAK

Penyelidikan ini memberi tumpuan kepada penentuan struktur granit bawah tanah yang sesuai untuk bahan binaan kejuruteraan bagi penempatan industri kuari di kawasan tersebut. Objektif utama kajian ini adalah untuk mencari dan menentukan kedalaman jasad batuan granit yang tertimbus dan ketebalan unit batuan dasar regolith. 14 garis profil keberintangan dengan panjang 200 m dan jarak elektrod 5 m, telah dijalankan dengan menggunakan perisian tomografi keberintangan elektrik (RES2DINV) untuk menggambarkan unit-unit struktur bawah permukaan di sekitar kawasan ini, menggunakan susunatur elektrod kutub-dwikutub dengan bantuan jurutera dalam mendapatkan maklumat mengenai ciri geologi bawah permukaan di kawasan Semenanjung Malaysia. Tumpuannya adalah untuk mencirikan kesesuaian bahan binaan kejuruteraan untuk penempatan industri kuari, penentuan konduktan membujur dan pekali anisotropi unit litologi bawah permukaan yang menentukan kebolehgunaan batuan dasar di bawah kawasan kajian daripada parameter geoelektrik yang diperoleh melalui tafsiran imej RES2DINV ERT. Kedalaman batuan dasar yang telah ditentukan daripada hasil tersebut adalah berjulat sekitar 5 m hingga 100 m dengan nilai bacaan keberintangan yang direkodkan adalah lebih besar daripada 6000 Ω-m pada kebanyakan profil. Laluan yang mengandungi air bawah tanah yang boleh membekalkan keperluan kepada kilang telah ditentukan di sepanjang unit batuan granit. Keputusan ini menjadikan unit batuan granit sesuai dan layak digunakan sebagai bahan binaan kilang di kawasan tersebut.

 

Kata kunci: Kecekapan batuan dasar; parameter anisotropi batuan; tapak kuari; tomografi keberintangan elektrik

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*Corresponding author; email: hariri@ukm.edu.my