THEORY OF THE COMPLEX DIELECTRIC PERMITTIVITY OF SOIL CONTAINING WATER: THE SEMIDISPERSE MODEL

A model of soil composed of a multiphase mixture of solid particles, water, and air voids is proposed from which the complex permittivity, or dielectric constant and conductivity, is calculated. It is based on the Hanai/Bruggelman/Wagner theory of mixtures and considers the ionic conducting water as partly dispersed and partly the dispersing medium. The permittivity as a function of frequency and water content is predicted. The increase in dielectric constant with water volume fraction does not differ greatly with soil type in the high-frequency limit and is approximated by a normal curve specified by the theory. A normal curve and the marked increase in dielectric constant at lower frequencies has been observed experimentally. It is concluded that this semidisperse theory of the dielectric permittivity is successful in describing the behavior of soils containing moisture in the high-frequency range (1 MHz-1 GHz). Approximations to the more detailed theory and a series-parallel RC equivalent circuit are given.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

  3 Park Avenue, 17th Floor
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5997
• Authors:
  • Wobschall, D
• Publication Date: 1977-1

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 49-88
• Serial:
  • IEEE Transactions on Geoscience Electronics
  • Volume: GE-1
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air voids; Dielectric materials; Electrical properties; Mathematical models; Moisture content; Soils
• Uncontrolled Terms: Conductivity; Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Air voids content
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00159866
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 27 1977 12:00AM