An Application of Multi-Frequency Alternating Current Source for VES on Soil Resistivity Measurement and Investigation

Abstract

This paper is present an application of multi-frequency alternating current source that can be adjust the frequency from 1 Hz to 1 kHz for vertical electrical sounding (VES) on soil resistivity investigations. Researchers have used the four-point electrodes array method for resistivity method in laboratory and field trial of soil resistivity measurements. The result in laboratory found that in each frequency of current source has significate influence on the homogeneous soil resistivity. It was shown that the implemented equipment can be used to measure the soil resistivity as required. In field trial the soil resistivity was investigated by the implemented equipment feeding the rectangular wave current through two current electrodes on the subsurface soil which embedded in the non-homogeneous soil in the field work. The current source can be scaled and frequency adjusted at 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz, 500 Hz and 1 kHz, respectively. The subsurface field have repeated tests 30 times in each frequency by compared with standard resistivity measurement equipment. The result found that the non-homogeneous apparent soil resistivity can be investigated and at the frequency of 100 Hz is close to the standard tool.