Electrical resistance profiles of permafrost-affected soils in the north of Western Siberia according to their vertical electrical sounding

Abstract

Vertical electrical sounding (VES) of soils and underlying permafrost was performed on key plots in the north of Western Siberia (the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug). It was supposed that the values of apparent electrical resistivity should sharply change at the boundary between the active layer and permafrost. Gleyzems, peat gleyzems, podzols, and petrozems studied on the key plots within the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas were characterized by different depths of the active layer. It was found that the electrical resistivity in the permafrost is one to two orders of magnitude higher than that in the active layer of the soils of different textures. Our study suggests that the VES method can be used to diagnose permafrost without disturbance of the soil cover. This conclusion is of special interest for long-term permafrost monitoring programs on permanent key plots. In general, the data obtained by VES are in agreement with the results of determination of the active layer thickness by traditional field methods.