Permeability estimation from induced polarization: an evaluation of geophysical length scales using an effective hydraulic radius concept

Abstract

Geophysical length scales defined from induced‐polarization measurements can be used in models of permeability (k) prediction. We explore the relative merit of different induced‐polarization parameters as proxies of an effective hydraulic radius (reff) that can be used to predict permeability from a modified Hagen–Poiseuille equation. Whereas geometrical measures of the hydraulic radius are good proxies of reff, the induced‐polarization measures are not well correlated with reff. However, a new proxy of reff that considers both imaginary conductivity and formation factor shows an improved correlation with reff. The resulting model enables a better quality of permeability prediction compared with the other geophysical length scales, but does not reach the predictive quality of the models based on geometrical length scales. The specific polarizability defined when incorporating the effect of the formation factor on imaginary conductivity appears to be independent of pore geometry, indicating that it is the correct parameter representing the role of the surface electrochemistry on the induced‐polarization effect. However, the joint dependence of induced‐polarization measurements on both the pore radius and the tortuosity and porosity of the interconnected pore network is a limitation to the widely explored use of induced‐polarization measurements to isolate surface properties from volumetric properties of the interconnected pore network.

Spectral Induced Polarization (SIP) of Denitrification‐Driven Microbial Activity in Column Experiments Packed With Calcareous Aquifer Sediments

“…A higher surface charge leads to a higher concentration of counter ions within the EDL, yielding higher $${\sigma }^{{\prime\prime}}$$ signals (Hao et al., 2015). The peak frequency is dependent on the length scale of polarization, that is, the particle size or pore size (e.g., Scott & Barker, 2003; Titov et al., 2002; Weller & Slater, 2019), and the mobility of the counter ions in the EDL (Schwarz, 1962). In porous media saturated with solutions containing more than two ions, the replacement of monovalent cations by divalent cations is known to reduce the magnitude of charge storage, due to their difference in surface mobility (Ben Moshe et al., 2021).…”

Characterizing Physical Properties of Streambed Interface Sediments Using In Situ Complex Electrical Conductivity Measurements

“…(2010) assumed foremost reflects the role of the EDL chemistry on the polarization. This assumption relies on the investigated samples having a relatively small variation in F (Börner, 1992; Börner et al., 1996; Weller & Slater, 2012, 2019). When samples extend across a wide range of materials to include low permeability samples with high F , then a more correct correlation separating out the role of the pore geometry from the EDL chemistry is (Niu et al., 2016; Weller & Slater, 2012, 2019), where c q is a specific polarizability related only to the EDL chemistry (assuming a relatively narrow range of (1 − φ ) in Equation ).…”

Temporal filtering and time-lapse inversion of geoelectrical data for long-term monitoring with application to a chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminated site

“…The parameter that describes how much energy is stored in the ground is called chargeability, and it can also be measured in the on-time using a 100 per cent duty cycle (Olsson et al 2015). The chargeability is a physical parameter that can be affected by mineralization, heavy metals, contamination (Telford et al 1991) and can be linked with hydraulic permeability (Maurya et al 2018a;Weller & Slater 2019).…”