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Advantages and Disadvantages of
Wenner and Schlumberger Arrays

The following table lists some of the strengths and weaknesses of Schlumberger and Wenner sounding methods.

Schlumberger Wenner
Advantage Disadvantage Advantage Disadvantage
Need to move the two current electrodes only for most readings. This can significantly decrease the time required to acquire a sounding. All four electrodes, two current and two potential, must be moved to acquire each reading.
Because the potential electrode spacing is small compared to the current electrode spacing, for large current electrode spacings, very sensitive voltmeters are required. Potential electrode spacing increases as current electrode spacing increases. Less sensitive voltmeters are required.
Because the potential electrodes remain in fixed locations, the effects of near-surface lateral variations in resistivity are reduced. Because all electrodes are moved for each reading, this method can be more susceptible to near-surface, lateral variations in resistivity. These near-surface lateral variations could potentially be misinterpreted in terms of depth variations in resistivity.
In general, interpretations based on DC soundings will be limited to simple, horizontally layered structures. In general, interpretations based on DC soundings will be limited to simple, horizontally layered structures.



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