Self-potential signals associated with preferential ground water flow pathways in a buried paleo-channel

Abstract

The flow of ground water in a buried permeable paleochannel can be observed at the ground surface through its self-potential signature. We apply this method to delineate the Saint-Ferréol paleo-channel of the Rhone River located in Camargue, in the South East of France. Negative potentials, 30 mV (reference taken outside the paleochannel),are associated with ground water flow in this major sand-filled channel (500 m wide). Electrical resistivity is primarily controls by the salinity of the pore water. Electrical resistivity tomography and in situ sampling show the salinity of the water inside the paleo-channel is ten times smaller by comparison with the pore water of the surrounding sediments. Combining electrical resistivity surveys, self-potential data, and a minimum of drilling information, a 3-D reconstruction of the architecture of the paleo-channel is obtained showing the usefulness of this methodology for geomorphological reconstructions in this type of coastal environment.