Rainfall infiltration process in mountain headwater region using electrical resistivity tomography

Many researchers have studied about the hydrological process, especially rainfall-runoff process, in the headwater region using multi hydrometric methods. Since the possibility has been recognized that bedrock groundwater has important role to play in the rainfall-runoff process, it is important to comprehend the rainfall infiltration process within fluctuations of bedrock groundwater. However, we would need many hydrological instruments to understand this process precisely. So we have applied electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method to understand rainfall infiltration process in the area that is estimated the contribution of bedrock groundwater for rainfall-runoff processes. Resistivity changes with the saturation rate of the pore fluid in the subsurface material. So it is possible to estimate spatial and temporal distribution of subsurface water by using ERT. In this study, we will estimate rainfall infiltration process in mountain headwater region using resistivity method. The study area is the Mamushi-dani watershed in Shiranui, Kumamoto, Japan. We described the bedrock groundwater storage systems using resistivity method in this watershed previously. Resistivity has been observed at 2 measurement lines in slope areas of this watershed. Both measurement lines have 47m in length, 1m electrode spacing and 48 electrodes. We used the multi-electrode system, NEXT-400(Kowa Co. Ltd., Japan) for measuring apparent resistivity and the application software, E-tomo (Diaconsultant Co. Ltd., Japan) for inversion of apparent resistivity data. The observed resistivity data were compared with water head observed at borehole and specific discharge observed at foot of the watershed. Inverted resistivity profiles and observed hydrological data showed the interface between saturated and unsaturated zone. During rainfall occurs, resistivity in surface area gets lower than that before the rainfall and resistivity in some part of unsaturated area shows increasing tendency. Both variations indicate the movement of subsurface water. Thus, we could estimate spatial and temporal distribution of subsurface water using resistivity data, and understand rainfall infiltration process precisely. Acknowledgements This study was financially supported by THE FUKADA GRANTS-IN-AIDS, Japan.