Indonesian Physical Review
Volume 7 Issue 1, January 2024
P-ISSN: 2615-1278, E-ISSN: 2614-7904
Study of Soil Stratification in Landslide Areas on Bantuas Road
Using the Resistivity Geoelectric Method
Arif Haryono1*, Supriyanto1, Djayus1, Mislan1, Piter Lepong1, Asri Yana Pratama Abbas1
1 Physics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Mulawarman, Indonesia.
Article Info Abstract
Article info: A landslide is a natural disaster that often occurs in the Palaran
Received: 02-12-2023 sub-district, Samarinda, East Kalimantan. This sub-district with
Revised: 21-01-2024 an area of 221.29 km2 is considered strategic as a buffer area for
Accepted: 26-01-2024 the National Capital City (IKN). Construction of toll roads,
Keywords: ports, factories, and housing has begun to be carried out here.
Resistivity method; However, in Palaran there are still many roads damaged due to
Bantuas Road; Landslide landslides, one of which is Bantuas Road. To study soil
stratification on the Bantuas Road section, research has been
How To Cite: carried out using the dipole-dipole configuration of the
A. Haryono, Supriyanto, resistivity geoelectric method. The data acquisition process was
Djayus, Mislan, P. carried out at two locations, namely at the first landslide (STA
Lepong, and A. Y. Pratama 7+150) and the second landslide (STA 9+450), with each location
Abbas, “Study of Soil consisting of three lines. The data processing uses Res2Dinv
Stratification in Landslide software to produce a two-dimensional model. Based on the
Areas on Bantuas Road resulting model, it is known that the landslide area at STA
Using the Resistivity 7+150 is at a distance of 48 to 96 meters with the slip area at a
Geoelectric Method”, depth of around 11 to 12 meters. Meanwhile, at STA 9+450, the
Indonesian Physical landslide area occurred at a distance of 48 to 80 meters with the
Review, vol. 7, no. 1, p slip area at a depth of 8 to 10 meters. The slip area in the first
133-142, 2024. landslide is interpreted to have occurred at the contact area
between unconsolidated material and dense sand, while in the
DOI: second landslide, it occurred at the contact area between weak
https://doi.org/10.29303/ip silty sand and dense sandy clay.
r.v7i1.297.
Copyright © 2024 Authors. All rights reserved.
Introduction
Indonesia is one of the countries that frequently experiences hydrometeorological disasters,
namely land movement disasters caused by climate and weather changes. According to Sassa
et al. [1], land movement disasters known as landslides are natural phenomena that are
generally caused by rain (57%), induced earthquake vibrations (20%), weathering and erosion
(9%), and human activities (6%). Based on this data, rain and earthquake vibrations are the
biggest causes of landslides. Rain is related to saturated fluid in rocks which can damage the
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bonds between grains in the soil. Meanwhile, the vibrational energy that propagates in the
rocks will cause movement in the soil grains, and if these grains move on a large scale it will
result in damage to the bonds between the grains.
One of the provinces in Indonesia with quite high rainfall intensity is East Kalimantan. The
average rainfall in East Kalimantan between 2020 and 2022 was recorded at 3,284.7 mm/year.
Meanwhile, Samarinda City, the capital of East Kalimantan Province, is also an area with
relatively high rainfall, namely 2,730.7 mm in 2022 [2]. These conditions make Samarinda City
very at risk of landslides. Even though Samarinda City is relatively safe from the risk of
earthquakes and tsunamis which often claim lives, landslides can also become a serious threat
if not handled quickly. Several landslides that have occurred in Samarinda include the Sungai
Pinang area [3], the Samarinda – Bontang axis road [4], and the Ring Road II [5]. The potential
risk of landslides in Samarinda and its surroundings must of course be a concern for all parties,
this is related to the location of Samarinda which is a buffer area for the new National Capital
(IKN) of Indonesia.
One of the sub-districts in Samarinda which has a very strategic location is Palaran. This sub-
district with an area of 221.29 km2 [2] is the gateway to IKN with toll road facilities and plans
to build a passenger port. Based on these conditions, it is necessary to carry out research to
assess the potential for landslides in the Palaran sub-district with a case study on Bantuas
Road. This research was carried out as an initial step in the process of mapping areas prone to
landslides in Samarinda.
Theory and Calculation
Geological Setting
Based on the geological map sheet of Samarinda [6], the constituent rocks at the research
location include the Balikpapan Formation (Tmbp), the Kampungbaru Formation (Tpkb), and
the Pulaubalang Formation (Tmpb). According to Supriatna et al. [6], The Balikpapan
Formation (Tmbp) has a lithology in the form of sandstone and mudstone, intercalated with
siltstone, shale, limestone, and coal. The depositional environment is in shallow seas with a
thickness of around 800 m. Meanwhile, the Kampungbaru Formation (Tpkb) has lithology in
the form of quartz sandstone with intercalations of mudstone, shale, siltstone, and lignite,
generally soft and easily crushed. This formation was deposited in a delta and shallow sea
environment with a formation thickness of around 700 – 800 m. Furthermore, the Pulaubalang
Formation (Tmpb) has lithology in the form of interbedded quartz sandstone intercalated with
limestone, mudstone, coal, and dacite tuff. This formation was deposited in a shallow
sublittoral environment with a thickness of around 900 m. The regional geological map of the
study area is shown in Figure 1.
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Figure 1. Geological Map of Research Area.
Landslide
Landslides can be defined as the downward movement of soil or rock masses that are caused
and triggered by natural factors such as rainfall, rock structure and layering, slope, and
vegetation cover. This movement process can be sliding, rolling, falling, or flowing. Landslides
usually occur on hilly land and mine excavation areas. Landslides occur because the slope is
unstable, so the material/rock on the slope then moves downhill. Slope instability can be
caused by several reasons, the main one is the saturation of the material by water. Due to the
influence of gravity, water flow that cannot be accommodated, and also the contact boundary
between stable and unstable material which is known as the slip area, this unstable material
moves down the slope until it reaches an area where the influence of gravity no longer has an
impact [7].
Factors that cause or trigger landslides include slope, rock type [8], rainfall [9], disturbance by
human activities, and seismic activity such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, or any
combination of these factors. In Samarinda, which has no volcanoes or a history of
earthquakes, rainfall and human activities are the main trigger for landslides.
Geoelectric Method
The resistivity geoelectric method is one of the geophysical methods used to study the
resistivity properties of rock layers below the surface. The basic concept of this method is
Ohm's Law, namely the relationship between potential voltage (V) and electric current (I). The
working principle is to flow an electric current into the earth through two current electrodes
and measure the magnitude of the resulting potential. Based on the resulting current and
potential difference values, the resistivity value of subsurface rocks can be calculated using the
following equation [10]:
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∆𝑉
𝜌𝑎 = 𝑘 (1)
𝐼
with parameter k is a geometric factor whose value depends on the distance setting of each
electrode.
Several electrode configurations can be used in the resistivity method, namely Wenner,
Schlumberger, Pole-dipole, and Dipole-dipole configurations. In this research, the
configuration used is dipole-dipole where the electrode arrangement looks like in Figure 2,
while the geometric factor (k) is calculated based on equation (2) [10]. In Figure 2, C1 and C2
are current electrodes, P1 and P2 are potential electrodes, while parameter a is the distance
between electrodes, with n = 1, 2, 3, ...
Figure 2. Electrode array for dipole-dipole configuration.
𝑘 = 𝜋 𝑛 𝑎 (𝑛 + 1)(𝑛 + 2) (2)
The use of the dipole-dipole configuration was carried out by considering the topographic
conditions and vegetation of the research area in the form of bushes. Apart from that, the data
acquisition process using this configuration is relatively easy to do with the available
equipment. The equipment used in the research is MAE Multichannel Resistivity as shown in
Figure 3.
Figure 3. MAE Multichannel Resistivity
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The resistivity values of rocks/materials below the surface are not unique, meaning that
different materials can have the same resistivity values. Therefore, in carrying out the
interpretation, sufficient geological knowledge is required so that the results of the model
interpretation are close to the actual conditions. Table 1 shows the resistivity values of various
rocks and minerals.
Table 1. Resistivities of common rocks and minerals [10]
Material Resistivity (m)
Granite 5 × 103 – 106
Basalt 103 – 106
Sandstone 200 – 5 × 103
Shale 20 – 2 × 103
Limestone 50 – 400
Clay 1 – 100
Sandy clay 30 – 215
Sand 60 – 400
Alluvium 10 – 800
Groundwater 10 – 100
Seawater 0.2
The resistivity geoelectric method is a method that is relatively easy to carry out both in the
data acquisition process and data processing, so this method is widely used for various
purposes, not only in Indonesia but also throughout the world. Several studies have utilized
resistivity methods, including those used to investigate geothermal sources in Lebong District
[11], identify the distribution and thickness of coal [12], estimate the distribution of
groundwater [13], and those related to identifying landslides [3, 4, 14–16 ].
Methods
The data acquisition process was carried out in two locations, namely Bantuas Road STA
7+150 (first location) and STA 9+450 (second location), where each location consisted of three
lines. Data acquisition in the field was carried out from 1st to 3rd June 2023, while data
processing was carried out at the Geophysics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Faculty of
Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Mulawarman. The situation map of the first
and second locations is visually shown in Figure 4, with the direction of the line parallel to
the direction of the road. On line 1 and line 2, the interval between electrodes is three meters
with a total of 48 electrodes, so the track length is 141 meters. Meanwhile, on line 3, the
interval between electrodes is only two meters, so the track length is only 93 meters. Complete
data on coordinates and spacing between electrodes for the first location and second location
can be seen in Table 2.
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(a) (b)
Figure 4. Situation map of research locations at (a) first location and (b) second location.
Data processing to obtain a two-dimensional (2D) model was carried out using Res2Dinv
software [17]. The next step is the process of interpreting the 2D model of each line in the form
of contours of the distribution of resistivity values for rocks or subsurface materials. The
process of determining rock types based on resistivity values is correlated with geological
information obtained from the regional geological map of the Samarinda sheet [6].
Table 2. Data of coordinate and electrode spacing for each location
STA 7+150 STA 9+450
Electrode Electrode
Line Coordinate (X / Y) Line Coordinate (X / Y)
Spacing (m) Spacing (m)
E01: 519605 / 9924842 E01: 518529 / 9923213
Line Line E24: 518494 / 9923157 3
E24: 519572 / 9924775 3
01 01
E48: 519534 / 9924719 E48: 518459 / 9923096
E01: 519602 / 9924845 E01: 518518 / 9923213
Line Line E24: 518485 / 9923156 3
E24: 519564 / 9924780 3
02 02
E48: 519529 / 9924722 E48: 518453 / 9923091
E01: 519563 / 9924841 E01: 518497 / 9923208
Line Line E24: 518476 / 9923172 2
E24: 519558 / 9924805 2
03 03
E48: 519549 / 9924764 E48: 518462 / 9923133
Result and Discussion
First Location (STA 7+150)
The 2D model produced at the first location for each track is shown in Figure 5. Based on the
model on lines 01 and 02, in general, the soil structure at the research location is composed of
three lithologies, namely unconsolidated sandstone, sand, and sandy clay with resistivity
values of more than 500 m, 100 – 500 m, and less than 100 m respectively. The resistivity
model lines 01 – 03 show similar lithology and structure. The resistivity values in the three
models are dominated by values of more than 500 m. This value correlates with the material
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in the form of unconsolidated sandstone. The soil layer near the surface is less compact rock
so it tends to move due to the low cohesive of the soil.
The landslide area in the first location is at a distance of around 48 meters to 96 meters which
can be seen in the resistivity cross section of lines 01 and 02. The 2D resistivity model shows a
relatively upright stratification pattern where the resistivity value in the landslide area is
relatively lower compared to the flanking areas on both sides.
The slip area is interpreted to occur at the contact area between unconsolidated sandstone and
sand at a depth of around 11 – 12 meters with a relatively translational pattern. The sharp slope
and loose material triggered ground movement in this landslide area. The handling process
needs to be carried out by considering the geotechnical properties and slope.
Figure 5. Two-dimensional model for the first location (STA 7+150)
Second Location (STA 9+450)
The resistivity cross-section of the 2D model for the second location (STA 9+450) is shown in
Figure 6. In general, the lithology at the second location is still the same as the first location,
namely unconsolidated sandstone, sand, and sandy clay. This is because the distance between
the first location and the second location is not too far, namely only around 2 km. At the second
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location, the resistivity value is still dominated by values greater than 500 m which can be
interpreted as uncompacted unconsolidated materials, especially those close to the surface.
The landslide area at this second location is at a distance of around 48 m to 80 m measured
from the first electrode point (E01). Based on the two-dimensional resistivity model seen in
Figure 6, shows that the stratification pattern is no longer continuous because the cracks have
been changed.
The slip area is interpreted to occur at the contact area between weak sand and dense sandy
clay at a depth of around 8 – 10 meters with a relatively translational pattern. The cause of the
landslide is thought to have occurred due to the influence of weak material which is not
compacted so it moves easily.
Figure 6. Two-dimensional model for the second location (STA 9+450)
At both research locations, some layers are interpreted as sandy clay. This interpretation is
based on resistivity values which are correlated with the geological map of the research area.
The clay layer is crucial in a landslide and slope failure occurrence [18], especially in areas with
high rainfall such as Samarinda. When the clay layer is wet, it becomes very slippery, which
can increase the potential for landslides. With this condition, it is necessary to be aware of the
potential for landslides around the research area, considering the large amount of
infrastructure development in the Palaran sub-district, as a result of the movement of IKN.
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Conclusion
The lithology of the research area, both the first location and the second location, is in the form
of unconsolidated sandstone, sand, and sandy clay. At the first location, the slip area is at a
depth of 11 – 12 meters which is the contact between unconsolidated sandstone and sand.
Meanwhile, at the second location, the slip area is the contact between weak sand and dense
sandy clay at a depth of around 8 – 10 meters.
Acknowledgment
We would like to express our thanks to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences,
Universitas Mulawarman, which has funded this research through the Research and
Community Service Fee Assistance scheme, PNBP Funding in 2023.
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