Variations of natural electrical potentials in the permafrost during 2017-2021 at Yakutsk

The diurnal, seasonal and interannual variations of natural potentials at two sites in the permafrost zone are considered, one of which includes a swamp, and the second is located on a "dry" site. The analysis of the parameters of electrical potentials in the permafrost zone, at the SHICRA SB RAS test site near the city of Yakutsk, far from industrial interference from autumn 2017 to spring 2021, is given seasonal fluctuations of electrical potentials in swampy and dry areas. Variations in natural electric potentials during the annual season from 10.2017 to 05.2021 in the area with a swamp amounted to a significant value of similar to 120 mV / 100m. In the absence of heterogeneity, the maximum variation is also observed in spring during the melting of the snow cover due to the sharp wetting of the upper soil layer, and is less than 40 mV / 100m. The transition from summer values to winter values for natural potentials occurs in November. The reverse transition from winter to summer conditions, according to our observations, took place from the third decade of April during May. These spring-autumn transitions are due to freezing of the upper soil layer, which thaws in summer conditions, and the corresponding changes in the electrical properties of the soil. The dependence of the value of natural potentials on the amount of precipitation is observed, which increases the soil moisture and its conductivity.