LIMITING DEPTH OF DETECTION IN LINE ELECTRODE SYSTEMS*

An infinitely resistive/conductive horizontal bed is assumed in an otherwise homogeneous and isotropic half space. Schlumberger, three electrode, and unipole profiles are computed at right angles to the strike of the bed. The Schwarz‐Christoffel method of conformal transformation and numerical methods of solving non‐linear differential equations are used to solve the boundary value problem. It is observed that (i) the three electrode system is the most sensitive gradient electrode configurations for electrical profiling, (ii) the apparent resistivities for Schlumberger, three electrode, and unipole methods become maximum when the depth of the bed is 0.06 L, 0.1 L, and 0.055 L for a resistive bed and minimum when depths are 0.085 L, 0.04 L‐0.02 L and indeterminate for conductive beds, respectively, (iii) the limiting depths of detection (defined in the text) by Schlumberger, three electrode, and unipole configurations are respectively 0.9 L, 6.6 L and 2.0 L for resistive beds and 0.58 L, 1.17 L and 1.5 L for conductive beds.

The electrode separation L is the distance between the two farthest active electrodes.