Soil resistivity
Updated 2026-10-27
Data records
- Soil resistivity is the resistance that a unit volume of soil offers to the passage of electric current, a property that depends on soil composition, moisture content and temperature; it is measured with stakes driven in a line so that a grounding system can be designed before its electrodes are installed.
- In the Wenner method a ground resistance tester drives a known current through the two outer of four equally spaced stakes set in a straight line and measures the voltage drop across the two inner stakes; the measurement is repeated with the line of stakes turned and at other spacings and depths to build a resistivity profile of the site.
Elsewhere in the family
- Ground Electrode Resistance related entry on Grounding Reference
Sources
- Electrical Testing Reference editorial taxonomy, Electrical Testing Reference editorial taxonomy of test methods, 2026-10 edition, Electrical Testing Reference. Held as: Own observation.
- Fluke learn article, Soil Resistivity Measurement, web page edition, Fluke. Held as: Public page. Publisher page
Changelog (4 entries)
| Date | Revision | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | created (gloss.soil-resistivity.definition) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (gloss.soil-resistivity.definition) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (gloss.soil-resistivity.usage) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (gloss.soil-resistivity.usage) |
Cite this page
Cite the governing standard for the fact itself; cite this page as the finding aid.
"Soil resistivity." Test Instrument Reference. 2026-10-27. https://www.testinstrumentreference.com/glossary/soil-resistivity/.
Test Instrument Reference, Soil resistivity (Oct. 27, 2026), https://www.testinstrumentreference.com/glossary/soil-resistivity/.
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organization = {Test Instrument Reference},
publisher = {Test Instrument Reference},
year = {2026},
note = {last substantive change 2026-10-27}
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