Over the last 15 years significant advancements in induced polarization (IP) research have taken place, particularly with respect to spectral IP (SIP), concerning the understanding of the mechanisms of the IP phenomenon, the conduction of accurate and broadband laboratory measurements, the modelling and inversion of IP data for imaging purposes, and the increasing application of the method in near-surface investigations. We here summarized the current state of the science of the SIP method for near-surface applications and describe which aspects still represent open issues and should be the focus of future research efforts.Significant progress has been made over the last decade in the understanding of the microscopic mechanisms of IP; however, integrated mechanistic models involving the different possible polarization processes at the grain/pore scale are still lacking. A prerequisite for the advances in the mechanistic understanding of IP was the development of improved laboratory instrumentation, which has led to a continuously growing database of SIP measurements on various soil and rock samples. We summarize the experience of numerous experimental studies by formulating key recommendations for reliable SIP laboratory measurements. To make use of the established theoretical and empirical relationships between SIP characteristics and target petrophysical properties at the field scale, sophisticated forward modelling and inversion algorithms are needed. Considerable progress has been made also in this field, in particular with the development of complex resistivity algorithms allowing the modelling and inversion of IP data in the frequency domain. The ultimate goal for the future are algorithms and codes for the integral inversion of 3-D, time-3 lapse and multi-frequency IP data, which defines a 5-D inversion problem involving the dimensions space (for imaging), time (for monitoring) and frequency (for spectroscopy). We also offer guidelines for reliable and accurate measurements of IP spectra, which are essential for improved understanding of IP mechanisms and their links to physical, chemical and biological properties of interest. We believe that the SIP method offers potential for subsurface structure and process characterization, in particular in hydrogeophysical and biogeophysical studies.

The results from several laboratory studies of the relationships between electrical polarization and physical properties of porous media have prompted interest in the potential use of low-frequency electrical spectra to qualitatively or quantitatively map variation in hydrogeologic properties in the field. Compiling several published and unpublished data sets, supported by new measurements, we have examined the low-frequency electrical spectra of a range of natural and artificial porous media to assess the generality of proposed relationships between electrical and physical properties. Our work confirms a significant positive correlation between the magnitude of electrical polarization (quantified as imaginary conductivity at a specific frequency) and the surface-area/pore-volume ratio [Formula: see text]. Analyzing the parameters of ageneralized Cole-Cole resistivity relaxation model fitted to many electrical spectra, we observe two apparent controls on the electrical relaxation. For samples with abundant relatively large pore throats, we observe a distinct increase in the time constant of the model with modal pore-throat size, in accordance with classical electrical relaxation models. However, for media with pore structures dominated by small pore throats, the diffusion-length scales do not appear to be controlled by modal pore-throat size. We conclude that for such media, the microstructure of the network of small pores leads to some connectivity of diffusion paths; thus, these samples exhibit relatively large time constants. There is potential value in addition to limitations when using electrical spectra to estimate physical properties of porous media, and we see the need for more appropriate generalized theories of electrical polarization in hydrogeologic media.

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A number of recent investigations have highlighted the potential value of using relaxation times derived from electrical spectra to infer key physical properties of permeable rocks. To date, most studies have assumed a grain size or pore throat as a measure of the length scale of the ionic diffusive process, although this has been challenged in recent experimental investigations. We compare the electrical spectra of three sandstones, adopting a new approach in which the temperature of the rock samples is perturbed and the relaxation time measured as a function of temperature. Our results suggest that, for the sandstones tested here, the effective diffusion coefficient should be considered as a function of the electrical tortuosity. These findings may help explain the apparent long relaxation times observed in low-permeability rocks in recent experimental studies. We also highlight the need to account for temperature in related studies of electrical spectra.

Permeability estimation from induced polarization (IP) measurements is based on a fundamental premise that the characteristic relaxation time [Formula: see text] is related to the effective hydraulic radius [Formula: see text] controlling fluid flow. The approach requires a reliable estimate of the diffusion coefficient of the ions in the electrical double layer. Others have assumed a value for the diffusion coefficient, or postulated different values for clay versus clay-free rocks. We have examined the link between a widely used single estimate of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for an extensive database of sandstone samples, in which mercury porosimetry data confirm that [Formula: see text] is reliably determined from a modification of the Hagen-Poiseuille equation assuming that the electrical tortuosity is equal to the hydraulic tortuosity. Our database does not support the existence of one or two distinct representative diffusion coefficients but instead demonstrates strong evidence for six orders of magnitude of variation in an apparent diffusion coefficient that is well-correlated with [Formula: see text] and the specific surface area per unit pore volume [Formula: see text]. Two scenarios can explain our findings: (1) the length scale defined by [Formula: see text] is not equal to [Formula: see text] and is likely much longer due to the control of pore-surface roughness or (2) the range of diffusion coefficients is large and likely determined by the relative proportions of the different minerals (e.g., silica and clays) making up the rock. In either case, the estimation of [Formula: see text] (and hence permeability) is inherently uncertain from a single characteristic IP relaxation time as considered in this study.

Reinforced concrete bridge decks are exposed to several types of deterioration processes: corrosion, alkali–silica reaction, carbonation, shrinkage, freeze–thaw actions, and so forth. The most commonly found problem is corrosion-induced bridge deck delamination. Previous studies have shown that surveys of bridges relying on a single nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technology provide limited information about the condition of concrete bridge decks. To overcome limitations of individual technologies, a complementary approach using several NDE technologies should be used in bridge deck evaluation. The presented approach utilizes a suite of NDE technologies, namely, impact echo (IE), ultrasonic surface waves (USW), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), half-cell potential (HCP), and electrical resistivity (ER). The suite of NDE technologies was implemented in the evaluation of bridge decks on nine bridges in Iowa. The NDE was complemented by ground-truth measurements on the cores extracted from all nine bridge decks. Condition assessment with the five NDE technologies has clearly shown their advantages and limitations. For example, the GPR surveys provided assessment of concrete deterioration at relatively high speeds of data collection. In contrast, IE provided high accuracy in detection and characterization of delaminations in the deck but at a lower testing speed. HCP and ER tests provided assessment of the likelihood of corrosion, whereas the USW test provided accurate assessment of the effects of deterioration processes and defects on mechanical properties, primarily the degradation of the elastic modulus. Most important, the survey showed the advantages of use of multimodal NDE surveys in the comprehensiveness of condition assessment of concrete bridge decks.

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