Depth of detection of buried resistive targets with some electrode arrays in electrical prospecting [Note 1. Received August 1994, revision accepted April 1996. ...]

Assuming the minimum detectable anomaly to be 10%, depths of detection of a 2D vertical resistive sheet of thickness t are found to be 4.0 t , 3.0 t , 4.0 t and 4.0 t with Wenner, two‐electrode, three‐electrode and dipole‐dipole (β‐Wenner) arrays, respectively, when the array spread is in‐line. On the other hand, the depths of detection obtained with a broadside spread of the arrays right over the sheet are much less and are correspondingly 2.5 t , 2.0 t , 2.5 t and 2.5 t . An increase in the depth extent W of the sheet from 10 t to 20 t does not increase its depth of detection with the arrays.  The depths of detection of an infinitely resistive horizontal cylinder of radius R are respectively 1.5 R , 1.8 R , 2.0 R and 2.0 R with the above‐listed arrays when the array spread is in‐line. With broadside spread of any of the arrays, the depth of detection is seen to be 2.5 R .  In the case of a spherical target of radius R , the detection depths of any of the arrays are found to be small and to vary between 0.8 R and 1.1 R .  Comparatively, the detection depths of resistive targets are much lower than those of conductive targets of the same size and shape, with any electrode array. Among all the arrays studied, the two‐electrode array performs worst in the detection of resistive targets while it performs best in detecting conducting targets of limited lateral extent. In the case of a spherical target, either resistive or conductive, there is no distinct change in its detection depth with array.