Time-domain electromagnetic surveys at Fort Irwin, San Bernardino County, California, 2010–12

Between 2010 and 2012, a total of 79 time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) soundings were collected in 12 groundwater basins in the U.S. Army Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC) study area to help improve the understanding of the hydrogeology of the NTC. The TEM data are discussed in this chapter in the context of geologic observations of the study area, the details of which are provided in the other chapters of this volume. Selection of locations for TEM soundings in unexplored basins was guided by gravity data that estimated depth to pre-Tertiary basement complex of crystalline rock and alluvial thickness. Some TEM data were collected near boreholes with geophysical logs. The TEM response at locations near boreholes was used to evaluate sounding data for areas without boreholes. TEM models also were used to guide site selection of subsequent boreholes drilled as part of this study. Following borehole completion, geophysical logs were used to ground-truth and reinterpret previously collected TEM data. This iterative process was used to site subsequent TEM soundings and borehole locations as the study progressed. Although each groundwater subbasin within the NTC boundaries was explored using the TEM method, collection of TEM data was focused in those basins identified as best suited for development of water resources. At the NTC, TEM estimates of some lithologic thicknesses and electrical properties in the unsaturated zone are in good accordance with borehole data; however, water-table elevations were not easily identifiable from TEM data.