journal article·2025-09-13Open access

Three-Dimensional Time-Lapse Joint Inversion of Resistivity and Time-Domain Induced Polarization Methods

Depeng Zhu, Huan Ma, Youxing Yang

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 18

Abstract

The resistivity method and time-domain induced polarization (TDIP) method are two branches of electrical geophysical prospecting. In recent years, researchers have implemented time-lapse resistivity inversion and time-lapse TDIP inversion based on time-lapse constraint theory. Although time-lapse inversion ensures temporal continuity between inversion results obtained at distinct epochs, it may not only cause the results to deviate from the true subsurface conditions, but also result in significant structural discrepancies resistivity and TDIP inversion results, thereby reducing inversion accuracy. To address these issues, the joint inversion of time-lapse resistivity and TDIP data was implemented based on cross-gradient constraint theory and time-lapse constraint theory. Using synthetic data from the theoretical model, we conducted separate inversion, time-lapse inversion, and time-lapse joint inversion. Comparative analysis of the results from these inversion schemes reveals that, compared with separate inversion and time-lapse inversion, time-lapse joint inversion not only maintains the temporal continuity of inverted models across consecutive monitoring epochs but also enforces structural similarity among distinct physical property models. This approach significantly increases the accuracy of the inversion results and exhibits superior noise robustness. These findings confirm the stability, reliability, and superiority of the algorithm developed in this study, providing a novel approach for addressing geological monitoring challenges.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Geophysical and Geoelectrical Methods · Geophysical Methods and Applications · Seismic Waves and Analysis

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Oil and Gas Survey Center of China Geological Survey, Beijing 100083, China

State Key Laboratory of Continental Shale Oil, Beijing 100083, China

The Key Laboratory of Unconventional Petroleum Geology, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100083, China

School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Institute of Disaster Prevention, Langfang 065201, China

Hebei Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Langfang 065201, China

Funding

The National Oil and Gas Basic Geological Survey Project of China · The Oil and Gas Basic Geological Survey Project in the Basin-Range Junction Belt of Xinjiang · The Langfang Municipal Outstanding Young Talents Project

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