Advanced hydrogeophysical scanning with FloaTEM

The FloaTEM Geoscanner

An advanced hydrogeophysical scanner for river and shallow sea botton imaging

Welcome to the world of hydrogeophysical exploration with FloaTEM. Our FloaTEM setup redefines aquatic geophysical surveys, offering high-resolution subsurface imaging while floating on water. This instrument is an indispensable tool for mapping aquifers, investigating water bodies, and enhancing our understanding of underwater geological structures with an innovative solution built on the foundation of the revolutionary tTEM platform. FloaTEM is in general terms a tTEM system adapted to the aquatic environment and is used to characterize the interaction between river and lake water bodies and the groundwater system or to characterize sea bottom sediments below shallow saltwater. The FloaTEM kit converts a tTEM system to be used on freshwater. For saltwater application an add-on is necessary to increase the power of the system.

Built on the reputable tTEM platform, FloaTEM inherits unparalleled data quality, versatility, and robustness. FloaTEM stands as a testament to innovation in the field of hydrogeophysics, making it an indispensable asset for scientists, researchers, and organizations dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of underwater landscapes.

 

The FloaTEM system comes with:

  • 2 durable rubber boats for transmitter and receiver platform
  • 1 set of towing ropes for FloaTEM operations
  • 2 receiver cables
  • 1 transmitter coil
  • Choice of 331, 333 or 443, two first digits is the side length of the coil, third digit is the number of turns.

Surveying on water

The FloaTEM 3×3 base kit contains all components required to make a 3×3 tTEM system waterborne. In FloaTEM operations, the distance between the instruments and transmitter platform is increased by 3 m, to avoid data being disturbed by the engine of the towing boat and to make it easier to place the instruments in the towing boat. A towing boat is not included in the base kit. The area of the transmitter coil directly affects the depth of investigation, with larger area resulting in deeper penetration at the loss of shallow resolution. For surveys on highly conductive saltwater, we recommend 333 or 443 coils. The enlarged moment comes with a system-specific system calibration and system description.

Thousands of kilometres of river systems, like the Mississippi, benefit from FloaTEM’s hydrogeophysical scanning for locating artificial aquifer recharge sites. Read about the FloaTEM case study her on the website. A high-power FloaTEM version designed to enlighten the geological structures in the top part of the sea bottom gives unparalleled possibilities for imaging clay and sand surfaces.

Key technical details on FloaTEM

  • Depth of Investigation: Offers probing depths in fresh water up to 130 m (430 feet) or 180 m (600 feet) depending on configuration exceeding.In 2 – 5 m (6 – 15 feet) of salt water the probing depth is 20 – 30 m (60 – 90 feet)
  • Power Supply: 12 V lithium battery.
  • Pulse Frequency: 25 Hz for high moment (~25 Amp).
  • Wi-Fi and Internet-enabled: Remote support and data upload capabilities
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Read our Case Studies

Dike Assessment – Netherlands

Read about the survey that was carried out in order to test the usability of the tTEM geoscanner in earth dike safety assessment. The presence, thickness and lateral extent of a thick clay layer was used to assess the safety in a spatial concern.

Borehole Siting – Togo

Get insights on the well-siting campaign that was carried out in Togo in 2022 using tTEM which resulted in recommendations of multiple borehole sites. The tTEM results located several fracture zones which resulted in very successful boreholes.

Aquifer Recharge – USA

Using tTEM to assess feasibility: Managed aquifer recharge, where excess water is used to recharge the groundwater aquifers, has been proposed as a means of curbing groundwater depletion in the Central Valley. However, locating new fields for recharge is difficult.

Characterizing Rivers – USA

Data were collected to achieve high-resolution information about subsurface geologic structure that can be used to delineate fresh-water/saline water contacts, delineate aquifer materials for water-resource investigations, and to inform hydrogeologic models.

Well Siting – Tanzania

Learn more about the well-siting campaign carried out with our tTEM system. The first target was a location with a potential for a thick unconfined aquifer to be present, while the second target was a confined aquifer system at greater depth, present in boreholes from nearby villages.