A key observation is that resistivity imaging with combinations of electrode arrays that include dipole–dipole quadrupoles can be configured to illuminate consequential elements of coastal hydrogeology. Two decades of seawater intrusion monitoring provide a basis for creating a geo-electrical model suitable for demonstrating the significance of acquisition and inversion parameters on resistivity imaging outcomes. We investigate challenges and drivers for successful electrical resistivity imaging with field and synthetic experiments. Electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) appears to be ideally suited for this purpose. Here, groundwater management requires definition of coastal hydrogeology, particularly the seawater interface. Urbanization of vulnerable coastal margins can place serious demands on shallow groundwater. Population growth and changing climate continue to impact on the availability of natural resources.
