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Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) Study in the Xochimilco District - Mapping the Subsidence in Southeastern Mexico City
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 25th European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, Sep 2019, Volume 2019, p.1 - 5
Abstract
The district of Xochimilco is located towards the Southeast of Mexico City. The area is found within the transition zone between the basalts of the Chichinautzin formation and the lacustrine sediments of the ancient lake of Xochimilco. This paper presents the preliminary results of two electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) studies conducted in two different areas of the Xochimilco district (Mexico City). The first one is carried out in the hilly zone to identify the subsoil structures that are causing a severe affectation to the urban zone in the area, just over the transition between the igneous extrusive rocks of the Chichinautzin formation and the sediments of the ancient lake. The second study was carried out in the low-lands, where a sinkhole appeared in a pre-Hispanic canal of Xochimilco (Zacapa pier), which drained it completely.
The results obtained in both studies show the applicability of the ERT technique, and for making decisions regarding remediation. It was observed that both events are closely related to the superposition of two different phenomena, the presence of an abrupt transition zone between two materials of different mechanical properties (i.e. basalts and sediments) and the excessive groundwater extraction that exacerbates the phenomenon of subsidence.