Soil horizon mapping and textural classification using micro soil electrical resistivity measurements: case study from Ado-Ekiti, southwestern Nigeria

In situ soil micro electrical resistivity measurements were carried out in a pilot plot within the Teaching and Research Farm of Ekiti State University with the aim of establishing relationships between such measurements, soil horizons, and textural classifications. The vertical electrical sounding (VES) technique was adopted for horizon mapping, while the horizontal profiling (HP) technique was used to determine the spatial distribution of in situ soil electrical resistivity of the topmost horizon. Twenty-five VES points were occupied with the Wenner electrode array and electrode spacing that was varied from 2 to 128 cm (0.02 to 1.28 m). The VES data were interpreted by partial curve matching and computer assisted 1-D forward modeling with the IPI2Win software. HP data were also acquired with the Wenner electrode array with a constant electrode separation of 8 cm and station interval of 1 m. Resistivity measurements were taken at 729 stations. The HP data were classified into resistivity-derived soil classes using a standard table. Eighty-one soil samples were collected from the topmost (0–3 cm) horizon and textural classification was derived from the particle size distributions. The resistivity range of values for the identified three layers was 38–590, 328–5222, and 393–900 Ω·m respectively. The average resistivities of the three layers were 263, 2554, and 703 Ω·m, with respective thicknesses of 2.85 cm, 45.52 cm, and infinite. The above resistivity regimes of the three horizons were attributed to responses from the O, A, and B soil horizons. The resistivity values of the O-horizon ranging from 210 to 750 Ω·m were classified as clayey sand while values greater than 750 Ω·m were classified as sand. The soil textural classifications obtained within the horizon were the sandy loam and loamy sand types. The cross-tabulation and spatial pattern comparison of resistivity-derived soil classes and textural classifications showed that whereas there existed some overlapping relationships, the sandy loam textural class had stronger association with the resistivity-derived clayey sand soil type, and the loamy sand textural class had stronger association with the more resistive sand soil type. This study therefore established that in situ soil electrical resistivity can be used for soil horizon mapping and textural classification.