Applications of Geophysical Methods for Subsurface Geological and Geotechnical Assessment - An Overview

The Geophysical methods involve investigations on the surface with the aim to delineate subsurface details. This is achieved by measuring certain physical properties and interpreting them in terms of subsurface geological features. A number of geophysical methods like Seismic refraction, Seismic reflection, Seismic tomography, Multi-Channel Analysis of Surface waves (MASW), Ground Penetration Radar (GPR), Resistivity, Self-Potential (SP), Magnetic, Gravity and Well Logging methods are available. These methods can be employed to solve various geotechnical engineering problems such as Subsurface characterization, Engineering properties, Highway subsidence, Ground water delineation, Health study of dams, Phreatic surface determination, Seepage detection and Locating buried manmade objects. The present paper discusses about different available geophysical methods, its applications and limitations. Many-a- time’s single geophysical methods may not yield the desired result due to their limitations. In such cases two or more methods can be integrated for better understanding of subsurface.