Characterization and Delineation of Karst Geohazards Along RM652 Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Culberson County, Texas

The Delaware Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico is the major western subdivision of the Permian Basin and a northern extension of the Chihuahuan Desert. The major evaporite unit within the Delaware Basin is the Castile Formation, which consists of gypsum/anhydrite and is highly susceptible to dissolution and karsting. Manifestations of karst within the Castile outcrop are abundant and include sinkholes, subsidence features and caves, both epigene and hypogene in origin. Land reconnaissance surveys conducted during the summer of 2015 documented abundant karst landforms in close proximity to a major thoroughfare, RM 652, in Culberson County, Texas. 2D electrical resistivity surveys were conducted at sixteen sites to characterize and delineate karst related hazards, both laterally and vertically, associated with the road. Data was collected with a SuperSting (R8/IP) multi-electrode earth resistivity meter with a dipole-dipole array type. Resistivity data collected was processed using EarthImager 2D to produce inverted profile sections of each site. Two dimensional electrical resistivity tomography was shown to be effective in detecting karst features in the shallow subsurface within the study area.