Resistivity image of the Lökbatan Mud Volcano

Abstract

The shallow structure of the Lökbatan mud volcano region was explored via direct current resistivity method. Primary focus was on investigating the thickness of mud volcano material along the volcano vent and its surroundings. Vertical electrical sounding (VES) data were measured using a Schlumberger electrode array. A two-dimensional (2D) inverse solution was applied to the VES data of each profile. The results of the 2D inverse solution show the presence of 10–30 Ω-m of dried mud volcano material at the surface of the study area and lower resistivity stratified structures towards depth. Consequently, the shallow 2D/3D geoelectric image of the volcano vent and the thickness of the mud volcano material (breccia) distributed along the perimeter were successfully revealed.