Measurement and Interpretation of Electrical Freezing Potential of Soils

Abstract
When soil freezes, abrupt changes occur in the electrical potential measured between electrodes buried in frozen vs unfrozen regions. These freezing potentials can vary in polarity and magnitude depending on soil type, freezing rate, nature and concentration of electrolytes in the soil-water, etc. This report finds that electrical potential changes of the same order of magnitude as freezing potentials (i.e., about 100 mV) can be generated by simply compressing the soil at room temperature. This suggests that a significant and previously unrecognized source of electrical freezing potential could be due to pressure induced during frost heaving. Because many interrelated variables are responsible for electrical freezing potential, the use of freezing potential to predict corrosivity, water migration, or other physical properties of freezing soils is considered to be inappropriate.

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