ASCE ElectricalPhenomena 2023

Sponsored by the Frozen Ground Committee of the Cold Regions Engineering Division of ASCE

Electrical Phenomena During Freezing of Water and Soils reviews the early observations of the generation of charges and electrical potentials developed during freezing of water, dilute aqueous solutions, and moist soils. Beginning with a description of the early observations of natural phenomena, such as lightning and thunderstorms, and the effects of these on aircraft flying through thunderclouds, the book describes the early laboratory measurements carried out to understand the physical processes behind charge separation and generation of high voltages at the freezing interface. The review concludes with examples of field studies and proposes the need to continue the studies to use the method as a geophysical tool to study the freezing of ground in cold regions.

Topics include

• Early observations and laboratory measurements,
• Freezing potentials,
• Electrical potentials during freezing/thawing,
• Studies done at the National Research Council Canada and Carleton University,
• Calculations of charge concentration, and
• Geophysical methods used in permafrost investigations.

This valuable resource provides historical observations and data collected into one concise volume. It encourages future researchers to continue this work in a more systematic way. It will be useful for undergraduate and graduate students who wish to pursue a career in cold regions engineering, and for scientists and engineers working on the design of buildings, storage facilities, pipelines, and other infrastructure in cold regions.

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