Why Use the Electrical Conductivity Tool?
Soil conductivity and resistivity have long been used as tools to classify soils. The power of this tool stems from the fact that higher electrical conductivities are representative of finer grained sediments, such as silts or clays, while sands and gravels are characterized by distinctly lower electrical conductivities. A few site specific core samples, either from discrete depths or a continuous core, can be used to verify the lithology represented by electrical conductivity values at a site. The electrical logs are then correlated across the site to show changes in thickness or elevation of lithologic units of interest. EC logs are used to define zones of lower conductivity, equivalent to coarser grained, more permeable sediments, which will allow the movement of contaminants (hydrocarbons, chlorinated VOC’s, or metals) in the subsurface. The lithologic information gathered with the conductivity tool can be used to aid the investigator in understanding the movement and location of c
