Strategies for Collecting Accurate IP Data with Multi‐Conductor Cable, Multi‐Channel Systems

Induced polarization data has a number of important applications in engineering and environmental geophysics. IP data may be able to provide a measure of subsurface grain size and thus provide estimates of hydraulic conductivity. Unfortunately, collecting accurate induced polarization data is notoriously difficult and IP data is particularly sensitive to the types of systematic errors that occur in modern engineering data acquisition systems. These problems are further amplified when using simple metal electrodes for both received and transmitted signals. In this paper, we show results from field and laboratory studies that illustrate these problems, as well as modifications to data acquisition approaches to ameliorate these issues. Such approaches include using non-polarizing electrodes instead of simple metal electrodes, modifying field layouts and array patterns to allow separate transmitter and receiver cables, and optimizing arrays for noise reduction.