StrataTEK’s team of geologists and geoscientists combined with our depth-calibrated portable equipment allow the most advanced imaging available.

Groundwater Identification
This allows an investigation to determine where aquifer conditions are optimal for well-drilling for irrigation, municipal, industrial, commercial or domestic groundwater needs.

Oil and Gas Exploration
A cross-section below ground enables structural interpretation to find faults and throws, dip disruptions, shallow oil and gas deposits, coal bed methane exploration, fractured formations, drilling hazards, glacial till or alluvium thickness and permafrost mapping. Our equipment is capable of working in high-temperature environments and is highly portable. On-site data images enable immediate survey modifications.

Environmental Applications
Our data enables a more cost-effective bore hole and monitor well program, eliminating the need for bore holes in some areas while focusing the drilling program in high-probability locales. StrataTEK has the capabilities to find underground tanks, voids, and pipelines with a noninvasive system.

Engineering Studies
Our advanced technology and equipment can:

• Define soil and rock properties
• Find potential engineering hazards missed by boreholes
• Map the thickness of lithologic units
• Define the local shallow aquifers and possible drainage routes
• Map geological structures
• Find faulted or fractured areas
• Locate caves and voids, sinkholes, abandoned mine workings, pipelines, and underground tanks and tunnels
• Focus borehole programs in anomalous areas.

Minerals, Aggregates and Mining
Resistivity imaging enables a continuous subsurface mapping of geological units and structure to find areas of high potential, faulting, locally thick or thin formations, dikes, sills and intrusions, volcanics, zones of high mineralization. We also locate aggregate material, abandoned mines, kimberlite intrusions, sulphine zones, water-bearing formations, oil sands, stratigraphic facies changes, coal seam structure and channel-cuts, overburden thickness, gravel deposits and depth to bedrock.

Archaeology
StrataTEK can locate areas of soil disturbance, buried structures and metals.

Agriculture
Image soil profiles to determine variations in soil types, focus areas of fertilizer application, evaluate groundwater aquifers beneath farm land for purchase, determine groundwater potential as an option for purchase or sale of farm land.

Geophysical Systems

MT4
Our hybrid-source MT4 images the geological conditions below ground by utilizing a controlled-source transmitter and 4-dipole electrical/2-coil magnetic array. The geophysical terminology for the type of imaging we provide is High-Resolution Magnetotelluric Method, or MT. The MT method allows a subsurface resistivity view by measuring the ratio of the magnetic to electric fields, also called the impedance, at a set frequency. For a constant resisivity, this ratio is constant. Where there is a change in resistivity, the ratio is affected, and the new apparent resistivity can be determined.

When we transmit an electromagnetic set of frequencies (10 Hz to 100 kHZ) through our dual-loop antenna into the earth, we can capture the field re-emanations with our receiver array, measure the differential voltage between the two electrodes of each electrical dipole (tensor or scaler), amplify and filter the data with the Analog Front End and then send the data to the computer console for analog-to-digital conversion and digital signal processing. Finally, the data is then converted into 1D and 2D apparent resistivity views similar to a cross-section or fence diagram after the resistivity and depth-inversions have been calculated and saved.

Our standard MT4 geophysical system utilizes the natural low-frequency electromagnetic field (<70 kHz) where the depth of investigation is below the limit of our transmitter. The maximum depth of investigation by the MT4 is dependent upon the resistivity/conductivity of the earth and the available low frequencies in the project area. Should more detail and greater depth penetration be desired in zones below 450 m / ~1500 ft, a low frequency transmitter option is available with frequencies ranging from 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz.

The images produced provide information on zones with porosity and permeability, formation thickness, structure, facies change and lateral continuity. Because the weight of all equipment components combined is below 200 pounds, we can mobilize the equipment into areas that are inaccessible by vehicle. Our power sources are two rechargeable 12V batteries, enabling us to work globally.

2D Images 1, 2 | Photos 1, 2

MT2
The MT2 is a capacitively coupled, dipole-dipole resistivity system. It transmits a 17 kHz frequency through a transmitting wire, inducing a current flow in the earth. Several receivers, or dipoles, matched to the transmitter frequencies are wired in tandem to measure the associated voltages between the dipoles. These voltages are converted to apparent resistivities and plotted versus depth to provide the final 2D plot.

The linear array is pulled along the ground either by a single person or attached to an all-terrain or 4WD vehicle. This towed-array allows for rapid data collection (10-25 times faster that a probe-resistivity surveys) to cover large survey areas. Due to its generated frequency there is no interference from other electrical sources. This allows for surveys close to and around power lines. By utilizing a capacitive electrode design, even areas with high contact resistance can be imaged. Data readings during each survey are taken twice per second while towing so that small features can be identified more easily. Two-dimensional or three-dimensional analyses are possible depending upon the goal of each project.

The MT2 is an excellent instrument for studying soil profiles, gravel or sand deposits, aquifer/groundwater exploration, mineral evaluation, environmental investigations, archaeological or engineering studies, soil contamination and cave/karst/void identification.

2D Images 1 | Photos 1, 2, 3