On-the-go sensors, designed to measure soil electrical resistivity (ER) or electrical conductivity (EC) are vital for faster non-destructive soil mapping in precision agriculture, civil and environmental engineering, archaeology and other near-surface applications. Compared with electromagnetic methods and ground penetrating radar, methods of EC/ER measured with direct current and four-electrode probe have fewer limitations and were successfully applied on clayish and saline soils as well as on highly resistive stony and sandy soils. However, commercially available contact devices, which utilize a four-electrode principle, are bulky, very expensive, and can be used only on fallow fields. Multi-electrode ER-imaging systems applied in deep geophysical explorations are heavy, cumbersome and their use is usually cost-prohibited in many near-surface applications, such as forestry, archaeology, environmental site assessment and cleanup, and in agricultural surveys on farms growing perennial horticultural crops, vegetables, or turf-grass. In such applications there is a need for accurate, portable, low-cost device to quickly check resistivity of the ground on-a-spot, especially on the sites non-accessible with heavy machinery.

Four-electrode principle of EC/ER measurements

Our equipment utilizes well-known four-electrode principle to measure electrical resistivity or conductivity (Fig).

Water is a precious commodity  in most urban and rural areas. Luck of local  potable  water sources threatens not only thriving but a mere survival of rural communities all over the world.  Establishing potable water wells requires a lot of fundings and resources and often cost prohibitive for local governments in South America and Africa.

Searching for shallow groundwater require knowledge of subsurface layers and locating intensity and directions of water fluxes, which can be accomplished with geophysical methods of vertical electrical sounding (VES) and self-potential (SP).  A method of VES can distinguish differences in electrical resistivity or conductivity at the multiple (10+) layers in soil profiles. These differences reveal the changes in soil texture and structure  between water-bearing and waterproof  layers,  which form a framework for  the subsurface water fluxes. 

Throw away your augers and soil samplers! Well, not quite... LandMapper^® ERM-01 is new non invasive device, which will help you to map land parcels with contrasting soil properties within the fields quickly, non destructively, and cost-efficiently.

Landmapper is an excellent tool for soil mapping required for environmental consulting, golf courses maintenance, construction services, farm management, new land development, and real-estate planning. It is a must have tool for forensic and archaeological investigators, even for serious treasure hunters. Using this non invasive device prior to soil sampling you can significantly reduce the amount of samples required and precisely design a sampling plan based on the site spatial variability.

LandMapper^® ERM-01 measures electrical resistivity or conductivity of soils and related media for express non invasive mapping and monitoring of agricultural fields as well as construction and remediation sites. In a typical setting, a four-electrode probe is placed on the surface and an electrical resistivity value is read from the digital display. The device measures electrical resistivity in a surface layer of the depth from 2 cm down to 5 m, which is set by varying the size of a four-electrode probe. Measurements are based on well-known four-electrode principle, which allows to avoid influence of electrode contact potential on measured electrical conductivity or resistivity of the media and obtain accurate readings.  The field tests were performed by our customers in USA, Russia, China, Canada, Sweden, France, Germany, Iraq, Dubai, Brazil, Panama and many others.

LandMapper ERM-02 is a newest device in the product line of Landviser, LLC. This portative device can measure three important electrical properties of solid, semisolid, and liquid media: electrical resistivity (ER), conductivity (EC), and potential (EP). Using the most accurate four-electrode principle LandMapper ERM-02 measures ER or EC to help you to delineate areas with contrasting soil properties within the fields quickly, non-destructively, and cost-efficiently. Using the device prior to soil sampling you can significantly reduce the amount of samples required and precisely design a sampling plan based on the site spatial variability.