Dynamic characterization of heat transfer processes in low-permeability media using ERT during thermal tracer tests

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2025.10.11

Abstract

Abstract:

Thermal tracer technology is a critical method for characterizing hydraulic and thermophysical properties of porous media, with extensive applications in hydrogeology. However, conventional thermal tracer tests rely on point-scale temperature data from monitoring wells, which can not resolve the spatial architecture of heat transport processes. To overcome the spatial resolution limitations of point-scale temperature monitoring, this study integrated electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) into thermal tracer tests in low-permeability media. We combined ERT with thermal tracer tests to investigate its capacity to map heat transport dynamics with high spatial resolution. We also developed a quantitative resistivity-temperature inversion model for clay formations. The model’s reliability was verified through numerical forward modeling, and key influencing factors were analyzed to demonstrate its field applicability. Key findings include: In heat conduction-dominated zones (monitoring wells), ERT-derived temperatures closely matched groundwater temperature trends and amplitudes. In local thermal convection zones (e.g., near the injection well), ERT captured trends identical to point measurements, confirming its reliability in low-permeability settings. ERT successfully identified preferential flow paths and thermally sensitive zones, demonstrating high sensitivity to subsurface heterogeneity and substantially improving the spatial resolution of heat transport visualization. The developed resistivity-temperature inversion framework provides a novel approach for thermal tracing in low-permeability media, effectively overcoming the spatial resolution constraints of conventional methods.

Key words: electrical resistivity tomography, low-permeability media, thermal tracer test, clay resistivity-temperature relationship, spatial resolution

CLC Number:

P641.69

ZHAO Yongsheng, WANG Jinguo, QIAO Fei, LIU Ruitong, CHEN Zhou. Dynamic characterization of heat transfer processes in low-permeability media using ERT during thermal tracer tests[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2026, 33(1): 523-533.

Figures/Tables 8

Fig.1 Field experimental design

Fig.2 Liquid-phase electrical conductivity vs. temperature in the test well

Fig.3 Resistivity distribution during the thermal tracer test

Fig.4 Variation curves of shallow groundwater parameters during the test

Fig.5 Temperature difference distribution calculated from ERT data

Fig.6 Comparison of ERT inversion temperature and groundwater point monitoring temperature response to thermal tracer tests at the same location

Table 1 Parameters setup for the forward model

参数	单位	数值
渗透系数	m/s	5.0×10^-6
饱和含水量	m³/m³	0.38
残余含水量	m³/m³	0.35
土体颗粒密度	kg/m³	2 580
堆积密度	kg/m³	1.650
多孔介质比热容	J/(kg·K)	500
液相体积热容	J/(m³·K)	4.2×10⁶
固体导热性	W/(m·K)	3.50
液相导热性	W/(m·K)	0.954
有效扩散系数	m²/s	1×10^-9

Fig.7 Comparison and validation of temperature difference results

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