Noise Ratio Variation Effects on Visualizing Subsurface Targets in Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) Sections

Geoelectrical methods, such as electrical resistivity, are frequently applied for indirect site investigations. The collected data might be affected by noise, overestimating, or underestimating the measurements. Noise affects electrical resistivity data, which is required to be determined. As a result, synthetic electrical resistivity data sets were numerically created using the RES2DMOD software, with experimental noise levels of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%. After that, the data sets were inverted using the RES2DINV software package, which included a robust algorithm. These datasets were generated by applying the dipole-dipole, Wenner, and Wenner-Schlumberger arrays for a geological model (a normal fault) and a geotechnical model (i.e., several subsurface targets). A qualitative comparison reveals that the performance of the dipole-dipole array was the best, and the array shows less effects of the noise on the electrical resistivity model. The Wenner-Schlumberger was on the second rank. In addition, the RMSE error values indicate an increase with the progress of the inversion process.