Broadband soil susceptibility measurements for EMI applications

When seeking low-metal targets, the success rate of an electromagnetic induction (EMI) system is often determined by the susceptibility of the soil near the object. In this paper, we begin the process of characterizing a random soil in terms of its effect on EMI sensor readings. After providing a brief review of the theory behind how soil susceptibilities affect EMI measurements, we measure the susceptibilities of 43 samples of soil from the United States, Puerto Rico, Iraq, and Afghanistan using a custom susceptibility sensor. We define a set of metrics and give the distribution of values for how magnetically active the soils are, how dispersive they are, and how well the commonly used log model fits to their susceptibility as a function of frequency. All measurements taken in the study are consistent with the log model of susceptibility if one accounts for the noise floor of the sensor. The sensor used for the measurements is described briefly and validated using a set of magnetic salts.

► A broadband system for measuring magnetic susceptibility of materials is described.
► Forty-three samples of soil taken from around the world are measured.
► Metrics describing the susceptibility and frequency dispersion are provided.
► Excellent agreement with the log model of soil susceptibility is found.