Mapping buried alluvial layer using integrated seismic refraction and 2-d resistivity inversions at Sungai Batu, Kedah, Malaysia

Abstract

Resistivity and seismic refraction are conventional methods in preinvestigations of subsurface structures, which are commonly employed and interpreted separately to reduce ambiguities from each method. Although integration of the two methods' models into a single model was recently introduced, the integration still requires enhancement to generate an accurate subsurface profile. Therefore, an enhanced algorithm called closure coupling technique was developed to integrate 2-dimensional (2-D) models of resistivity and seismic refraction to become a single integrated model where one model influences the other model. The resultant integrated model is superior in mapping the subsurface compared with singular resistivity and seismic models. These methods were then applied on a pre-investigative field dataset in finding ancient river for archaeological point of interest. Due to complex geology, only slight changes were observed in the inverted model of the integrated data inversion for this archetype. Still, the combined model enhanced subsurface interpretation by highlighting the distribution of buried alluvial soil.