{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,28]],"date-time":"2026-03-28T02:53:33Z","timestamp":1774666413123,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"21","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,25]],"date-time":"2022-10-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1666656000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In the past decade, drones have become available and affordable for civil applications, including mapping and monitoring the Earth with geophysical sensors. In 2017 and 2019, the feasibility of executing frequency domain electromagnetic (FDEM) surveys using an off-the-shelf drone was investigated at Deltares Institute. This paper reports firstly the preparatory tests executed to determine the optimal instrumental configuration, flight path, data processing and inversion schemes and secondly the three field validation tests executed to demonstrate the feasibility of the drone-borne electromagnetic survey in real-scale applications. At several test sites, the optimal configuration of the drone and electromagnetic instruments, such as the mounting device and distance of the electromagnetic (EM) sensor with respect to the drone, the flight altitude, the coil separation and frequency of the EM source, efficiency and safety, and the assemblage of instrument and drone data were investigated. This has resulted in a robust method to acquire accurate and repeatable in-phase, quadrature and apparent resistivity data, and a workflow for data correction, processing and inversion scheme was developed. During those tests, three EM instruments were tested. The drone-borne electromagnetic (DR-EM) system has the ability and efficacy to fly over inaccessible areas and surface water. Compared to helicopter-borne electromagnetic surveys, the spatial resolution is much higher, which allows very detailed 3D mapping of subsurface targets, and the survey costs are relatively low. Repeated drone-borne electromagnetic (DR-EM) surveys allow low-cost monitoring of local changes in water saturation and salinity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs14215335","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,26]],"date-time":"2022-10-26T07:17:48Z","timestamp":1666768668000},"page":"5335","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Drone-Borne Electromagnetic (DR-EM) Surveying in The Netherlands: Lab and Field Validation Results"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Marios","family":"Karaoulis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Deltares, P.O. Box 85467, 3508 AL Utrecht, The Netherlands"}]},{"given":"Ipo","family":"Ritsema","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Deltares, P.O. Box 85467, 3508 AL Utrecht, The Netherlands"}]},{"given":"Chris","family":"Bremmer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Deltares, P.O. Box 85467, 3508 AL Utrecht, The Netherlands"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"De Kleine","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mdk-Geologic, Sprengenweg 1, 8181 NM Heerde, The Netherlands"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0931-6944","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gualbert","family":"Oude Essink","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Deltares, P.O. Box 85467, 3508 AL Utrecht, The Netherlands"},{"name":"Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands"}]},{"given":"Edvard","family":"Ahlrichs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Deltares, P.O. Box 85467, 3508 AL Utrecht, The Netherlands"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"932","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2478.1981.tb01036.x","article-title":"Electromagnetic prospecting for groundwater in precambrian terrains in the republic of Upper Volta","volume":"29","author":"Palacky","year":"1981","journal-title":"Geophys. Prospect."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"255","article-title":"Locating the freshwater\/salt water interface on the island of Spiekeroog by airborne EM resistivity\/depth mapping","volume":"29","author":"Sengpiel","year":"1981","journal-title":"Geol. Jahrb. C"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"861","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2478.1983.tb01094.x","article-title":"Tutorial: Research, applications, and publications in electrical and electromagnetic methods","volume":"31","author":"Palacky","year":"1983","journal-title":"Geophys. 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