Abstract
Non-polarized electrodes are used to measure the potential differences
between two points of ionic conductors. They have been widely used in
geoelectric measurements,e.g., magnetotelluric (MT), induced
polarization (IP), and spontaneous potential (SP). In practical
applications, non-polarized electrodes have the following shortcomings:
(1) Regular maintenance is required, and the electrodes must be placed
in a special solution after use. (2)The working life is limited due to
improper maintenance (3)The electrode is large and generally weighs more
than 0.5kg. (4) The electrode temperature coefficient is usually
0.1~1mv/℃ which is required to be buried deep
(>1m) for long-term observation. We have developed a
maintenance-free solid Pb-PbCl2 non-polarized electrode. The electrode
has the following advantages. (1) No maintenance is required, the bottom
of the electrode is sealed with a rubber sheath. (2)The potential of
electrodes is stable, with a monthly drift of less than 50 μV. (3)The
temperature coefficient is 10-20 μV/℃. (4) For 100m electrode distance,
the signal-to-noise ratio relative to the natural induced electric field
is >20 dB at periods of 10,000 s and 10 dB at periods of
100,000 s, comparing 10 dB and -10 dB for PMS 9000 electrodes,
respectively. We developed five types of electrodes for different
measurements. The smallest diameter is 2.5cm and 10cm in height, and the
weight is 0.1 kg which can be also used in the lab. All types of
electrodes are waterproof and can be used for the measurement of the
electric field in waters, e.g., lake bottom. The field test shows that
our electrode can significantly improve the data quality at dead-band
(0.1-10 s) and low-frequency for MT measurement, e.g., one can obtain
smooth MT impedance with a period of more than 50,000 s for a month
acquisition.