Streaming potential in nature

Abstract

For the first time, QUINCKE found in 1859 the phenomenon of electric streaming potential. Twenty years later HELMHOLTZ published a mathematical expression for the streaming potential.

In the following years a number of scientists studied the phenomenon. BIKERMAN (1932) showed that each electric streaming potential causes an electric current in the contrary direction. SWARTZENDRUBER postulated in 1967 that this electric field tries to stop the streaming potential as a result of the energy balance.

It seems that streaming potentials are very general in nature. In applied geophysics streaming potential was used in the past in auger hole prospecting. But steaming potentials were determined in each soil type with sufficient capillarity (SCHUCH and WANKE 1968a), as also in peat bog (SCHUCH and WANKE 1967) and in living plants, e. g. spruce (SCHUCH and WANKE 1968b). It is not easy to measure streaming potentials. Besides streaming water or soil solution, temperature differences or concentration differences etc. cause electric potential differences. Unpolarized electrodes must be used. A special device with calomel electrodes shows good results.