Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID LA_2023_Lorenzo

Time-lapse Electrical resistivity tomography and seismic reflection imaging of a shallow groundwater aquifer (0-50m) in the Mississippi Flood Plain: Duncan Point, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Institute: Louisiana
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $19,480 Total Non-Federal Funds: $20,678

Principal Investigators: Juan Lorenzo

Project Summary: Flood-induced seepage under the Mississippi River levees poses an economic risk to industry, agriculture, public infrastructure and private dwellings in the Lower Mississippi Valley across multiple states. We will study a groundwater aquifer beneath a flood-protection levee, in an area known to be susceptible to seepage and flooding during elevated river levels. Prior work shows that by combining geotechnical and geophysical data, high-seepage zones at the surface can be linked to buried, sand-rich, geological bodies. With additional measurements we will confirm these relationships with modern, quantitative tools. Using geophysical tools, we will map these sand bodies and monitor their behavior during both low and high levels of the river. Geophysical methods cover more ground and do not require expensive drilling. We foresee that non-invasive geophysical surveys may become a standard method to predict areas of high seepage at a low cost and in a timely manner.