Development of a resistivity probe for determination of soil water saturation
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https://doi.org/10.67484/GeoGIS.111.1205.2026Keywords:
Development of a resistivity probe for determination of soil water saturationAbstract
Research on the fabrication of a resistivity probe to estimate soil water saturation from electrical resistance measurements. The probe consists of two stainless steel electrodes (2 mm in diameter and 100 mm in length) installed with a spacing of 12 mm. The calibration process was conducted using oven-drying tests, and the relationship between electrical resistivity and water saturation was interpreted based on Archie's law, yielding Archie's exponents of m = 1.31 and nₐ = 1.60, respectively, with a high coefficient of determination (R² = 0.99). This calibration relationship was subsequently applied to monitor saturation changes in a one-dimensional (1-D) vertical drainage column model. Concurrently, an image-analysis-based method integrated with an outlier filtering procedure was employed to serve as an independent reference. The results obtained from both methods demonstrated good agreement within the scope of the study, indicating that this resistivity probe design provides a reliable, relatively low-cost tool for monitoring saturation changes in laboratory soil column models, with the potential for expansion to other soil types given appropriate calibration.
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