Electrical resistivity survey in soil science: a review

Abstract

Electrical resistivity of the soil can be considered as a proxy for the spatial and temporal variability of many other soil physical properties (i.e. structure, water content, or fluid composition). Because the method is non-destructive and very sensitive, it offers a very attractive tool for describing the subsurface properties without digging. It has been already applied in various contexts like : groundwater exploration, landfill and solute transfer delineation, agronomical management by identifying areas of excessive compaction or soil horizon thickness and bedrock depth, and at least assessing the soil hydrological properties. The surveys, depending on the areas heterogeneities can be performed in one-, two-or three-dimensions and also at different scales resolution from the centimetric scale to the regional scale. In this review, based on many electrical resistivity surveys, we expose the theory and the basic principles of the method, we overview the variation of electrical resistivity as a function of soil properties, we listed the main electrical device to performed one-, two-or three-dimensional surveys, and explain the basic principles of the data interpretation. At least, we discuss the main advantages and limits of the method.

Redox potential (Eh) and pH as drivers of soil/plant/microorganism systems: a transdisciplinary overview pointing to integrative opportunities for agronomy

“…Today, it is used in precision agriculture as a very attractive indicator to characterize soil (Samouëlian et al 2005). This non-invasive measuring technique enables researchers to characterize various soil properties, such as the cation exchange capacity (CEC), salinity, nutrients, residual humidity and preferred water flows, soil texture and properties related to texture (sand layers, impermeable clay layers, etc.…”

“…This non-invasive measuring technique enables researchers to characterize various soil properties, such as the cation exchange capacity (CEC), salinity, nutrients, residual humidity and preferred water flows, soil texture and properties related to texture (sand layers, impermeable clay layers, etc. ), bulk density, and compaction areas or organic matter (Paillet et al 2010;Samouëlian et al 2005). For instance, soil resistivity decreases when bulk density increases, especially when soil water content is low (Richard et al 2006;Seladji et al 2010).…”

Soil Moisture Data for the Validation of Permafrost Models Using Direct and Indirect Measurement Approaches at Three Alpine Sites

“…The use of Archie's law for water content quantification is well established in soil sciences (e.g., Samouelian et al, 2005), the investigation of hill slopes (e.g., Huebner et al, 2015) and flood protection dikes (e.g., Rings and Hauck, 2009) but also in permafrost environments (Hauck, 2002).…”

Irrigation scenarios for artichokes and dry bean as a result of soil variability on the basis of resistivity mapping in southwest Italy

“…Geo-electrical exploration is based on the measurement of soil electrical resistivity (ER) or its reciprocal, conductivity. ER is a function of multiple soil properties like soil texture, structure, organic matter, water content and root density (Samouelian et al, 2005;Rossi et al, 2013a). Particles size and especially the content of clay are well correlated with ER across a range of field conditions (Bitella et al, 2015).…”