Brief communication: Use of lightweight and low-cost steel net electrodes for electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys performed on coarse-blocky surface environments

Abstract

ERT is a widely used geophysical technique for characterizing various mountainous environments where land surfaces consist of coarse blocks and debris (e.g., rock glaciers). In these conditions, installing steel spike electrodes is both challenging and time-consuming, and achieving acceptable grounding resistance between the electrodes and the surface is difficult. In this work, we successfully tested the performance and the durability of an alternative electrode that is more robust, lightweight, and cost-effective than the recently proposed textile electrode. A stainless-steel net and sponge are used to create small bags that can be easily inserted between the blocks and later removed.