Water
Resources

Optimizing Water Resource Management

At Echo Geotechnical, we understand the importance of reliable water resources. Our advanced technology provides a powerful tool for water resource management. We go beyond basic profiles with our innovative approach, delivering rich, high-resolution data on the subsurface in a single efficient pass. This comprehensive data includes critical details like shear moduli derived from SH reflection, MASW, and compressional (P-wave) data. This combined approach translates to clearer, more actionable insights for your water resource projects.

ACQUISITION

  • Cost efficient Vibroseis energy source and streamer with 72 3C receivers using minimal crew
  • Includes MASW acquisition, SH and P-wave in single pass
  • Non-intrusive – ideal for urban settings or dams and levees
  • Large number of channels recorded for full section – shallow to deep

PROCESSING

  • Full wave processing – SH and P-wave from same data
  • High resolution imaging in low velocity soils up to 200 meters
  • Shear modulus estimates along continuous profiles delivered for engineering analysis

INTERPRETATION

  • Quickly identify subsurface features such as tunnels, fluids, low shear strength materials and buried channels
  • Stratigraphic and structural profiles validated with available well and CPT data
  • Integrate well data with profiles to create 3D visualization

Shallow Lithology

A crucial aspect of water resource management is understanding the composition of the shallow subsurface. Echo Geotechnical’s expertise in shallow lithology allows us to map the continuity and distribution of different soil types.

This detailed information is essential for tasks like aquifer characterization, locating potential groundwater sources, and assessing infiltration rates for effective water management strategies.

Soils Characterization

Effective water resource management relies on a thorough understanding of the soil’s properties. Echo Geotechnical’s advanced techniques provide valuable insights into these characteristics. We can determine the shear moduli of the soil, a crucial factor influencing its stability and response to water flow. Additionally, our methods can potentially identify the presence of direct fluids, providing valuable information about groundwater flow patterns and potential contamination risks.

By characterizing these hidden properties of your soil, we empower you to make informed decisions for sustainable water resource management.

Applications

Echo Geotechnical’s expertise in shallow subsurface characterization offers valuable solutions for a variety of water resource applications. Here are a few key areas where we can assist you:

Locating Buried Channels: Identifying and mapping hidden underground channels is crucial for understanding groundwater flow patterns and optimizing resource management.

Water Exploration: Our technology can efficiently explore for new freshwater resources, assisting in efforts to secure a sustainable water supply.

Mapping Potential Contaminant Pathways: Understanding the subsurface allows us to identify potential pathways for contaminant migration, enabling proactive measures to protect your water resources.

Buried Channels

THE PROBLEM

  • Well records, outcrops, and exploratory drilling are currently used to identify buried channels
  • Existing water well reports can be lacking in rural areas where few water wells exist.
  • Other geophysical methods such as resistivity and high-resolution airborne EM may locate approximate locations but cannot accurately characterize the extent, depth and infill material of these valleys.

ECHO GEOTECH’S SOLUTION

  • Seismic data integrated with existing well records, outcrops, and/or exploratory drilling for cost effective characterization of buried channels and their infill materials
  • Non-intrusive rapid evaluation of subsurface
  • Increased vertical resolution (5 times) using shear waves versus current p-wave methods due to high velocity relative to shear waves in unconsolidated materials.

OUR ADVANTAGE

  • Detailed characterization of buried channels between boreholes for water resources exploration.
  • Direct the location of drill holes for hydro-geological studies.
  • Collect data in urban areas with no surface disturbance and image to depths as much as 200m.
  • Cost for Land streamer profiles over 1 or 2 linear km’s is comparable to a single discrete drill hole and may reduce the number of drill tests required and optimize their placement.

Water Exploration

THE PROBLEM

Discrete boreholes used for Water Exploration often miss complex lateral soil changes.

ECHO GEOTECH’S SOLUTION

Our system provides continuous profiles between existing boreholes and can optimize placement of new boreholes. Just one pass collects both Pwave (sensitive to fluids) and SH wave (not sensitive to fluids).

OUR ADVANTAGE

  • Integration of Landstreamer profiles with existing or new boreholes, provide detailed characterization of buried channels for water resources
  • Integration of P and SH wave data allow direct fluid detection for water table identification
  • Either filling in geologic information between boreholes OR directing the location of drill holes is a huge benefit to hydro-geological studies.
  • Collect data in urban areas without intrusion into subsurface and to depths as much as 200m.
  • Cost for Land streamer profiles over 1 or 2 linear km’s is comparable to a single discrete drill hole and may reduce the number of drill tests required and optimize their placement.

Potential Contaminant Pathways

THE PROBLEM

  • Tailings ponds containing toxic chemicals need to be frequently monitored to prevent release
  • Recent dam collapses indicate underlying soil weakness not previously identified
  • Common monitoring methods including drilling and CPT’s require intrusive investigation of these dams

ECHO GEOTECH’S SOLUTION

Continuous profiling along the dam face with SH land-streamer identifies weak zones within the dam and has the capability of investigation the soils beneath the earth dams to identify potential contaminant pathways and weak substrata.

OUR ADVANTAGE

  • Establish weak portions of the dam requiring mitigative engineering
  • Investigate soils structure underneath the dam structures that may have been eroded over time or have high potential of giving way due to low shear strength.
  • Jointly conduct MASW testing and investigate 10-50m below the existing ground surface in a single pass.
  • Deliver geologic data, deeper data, high resolution continuous profiles with no surface disturbance or intrusive drilling along the earth dams
  • Lower cost with the added benefit of optimizing the placement of the more expensive CPT and drill tests if required.