| Term: | Electrical properties of frozen ground |
| Definition: |
The dielectric constant (or relative permittivity), electrical conductivity and electrical resistivity are the major electrical properties governing the flow of electric current through frozen ground IPAPermafrost
The dielectric constant, electrical conductivity and electrical resistivity are the major electrical properties governing the flow of electric current through Frozen Ground. The dielectric constant of a soil/rock is a measure of the ability of it to store electrical energy in the presence of an electrostatic field; it is the ratio of the soil's permittivity to the permittivity of a vacuum. The electrical conductance of a soil is the inverse of the resistance offered by a soil to electrical current flow. Current flow under an electrical gradient in a frozen soil occurs almost entirely through the unfrozen water films. Electrical conduction is related to the thickness of these water films and their degree of interconnection; it decreases with decreasing temperature and increases with increasing pressure. Electrical resistivity is the property of a material that determines the electrical current flowing through a cube centimetre of the material when an electrical potential is applied to opposite faces of the cube. All these electrical properties are influenced by soil/rock type, density, salinity, temperature and, in particular, the unfrozen water content. TrombottoGeocryology GCW |