Moreira, César Augusto [UNESP]Helene, Lívia Portes Innocenti [UNESP]Cavallari, Fernanda [UNESP]Carrazza, Leonardo Paioli [UNESP]Dourado, João Carlos [UNESP]2018-12-112018-12-112017-01-01Geociencias, v. 36, n. 3, p. 589-597, 2017.1980-900X0101-9082http://hdl.handle.net/11449/179402Biogas is a chemical compound rich in methane, generated by the degradation of organic matter, flammable power and applicable to energy generation. Landfills are areas with great potential for biogas generation due to the large amount of organic matter contained in solid domestic waste, particularly in Brazil, where around 50% of the volume of waste is composed of organic matter. The sizing and design of projects to capture and generate energy in landfills depend on reliable estimates of future generation of biogas. The currently available models are deficient due to the exclusion of relevant factors in the biogas generation process. This paper discusses variations in natural electrical potential measured in periods every two weeks during 1 year by geophysical logging, and its relations with rainfall and biogas production measured in drains localized in areas with different ages of residues in sanitary landfill. The area with the recent waste (up to 3 months) and with greater availability of organic matter degradable presented the larger flow rates of biogas and values of electric potential more negative (average of -200mV). An area with old waste (over 15 years), where the flow of biogas was lower and the values of electric potential were neutral (average of 0mV). The results suggest the possibility of using measures of electric potential natural on mapping regions of greatest generation of biogas, with possibilities of optimization of systems for capturing and generation of electricity by burning methane in landfills.589-597engGeophysicsMethaneOrganic matterRainfallSelf-potentialArtigoAcesso restrito2-s2.0-8503579804390868573123910800000-0002-6949-6679