Certain weather conditions could delay or postpone your survey. See below on how the weather will affect your project and equipment.
Tip: Bring a canister of pressurized air with you on all surveys to blow moisture/dirt out of connectors. We've also written an article on how to clean connectors.
Hot/Moderate Weather:
Most AGI Systems are designed to function even when temperatures reach 40ºC - 45ºC (104ºF - 113ºF).
In dry summer conditions, the contact resistance increases. You should add saltwater, bentonite, or foil pits to the ground beneath your electrodes.
Blazing Sun/Arid Weather:
The SuperSting™ and MiniSting™ LCD screen may darken in intense direct sunlight (though the special high-quality LCD screen will not darken easily). Should this happen, you can easily adjust the screen's contrast by using the contrast key on the keyboard.
In dry summer conditions, the contact resistance increases. You should add saltwater, bentonite, or foil pits to the ground beneath your electrodes.
Rain:
The instrument and the electrodes are weatherproof, meaning that they can be out in light rain. Be careful to keep any moisture away from the pins/holes at connection points. Do not submerge any meters. Consult with your AGI representative first if you plan on submerging cables.
Moderate rain and heavy rain, will affect your survey negatively. After a rainstorm, surface water will percolate down into the ground. When water moves through soil, streaming potentials are created (also known as streaming voltage), which will be recorded by the instrument—resulting in a “noisy” data.
For moderate rain, expect your survey to be delayed for at least an hour after the rain stops. Let the rain filter through the ground before performing your measurement. For rainstorms, try to wait for a day after the storm has passed.
High Humidity:
Take the same precautions in high humidity as you would in light rain. Keep connectors pins, etc., dry. If you suspect that moisture has built up in a connector, use canned air to blow dry.
Cold Weather:
The SuperSting™ will work well below 0ºC. However around 0ºC, the LCD screen transitions will become slower. Changes of display will happen slower and slower the colder it is. Around -10ºC the LCD will stop working. Therefor if you are planning to work in colder weather you will need to somehow warm the SuperSting™. Our electrode cables will work well down to at least -20ºC.
Snow and Ice:
Snow and ice is highly resistive but does not affect the measurement in any other way. Snow and frost on the ground will help keep contact resistance low. Actually, the resistivity method works well for mapping permafrost.
High Wind:
Really high winds could have the potential to delay your survey a bit. For example, high winds could sway or knock down any cables that aren't secure. Even if you’re using metal stakes in the ground—if the wind is strong enough to create movement in your survey line—you’re going to see errors in your data.
Thunderstorms:
Thunderstorms are dangerous for you and the equipment. The instrumentation contains sensitive CMOS circuitry and can be destroyed by nearby lightning. For your safety, it is not a good idea to stand at the end of a long conductive cable during a thunderstorm.
Thunderstorms typically move very quickly. So when you first hear thunder in the distance, start picking up your equipment if you've already deployed.
Other Severe Weather:
Weather such as tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, tropical storms, etc., will halt your project completely until the inclement weather has passed. Do not use AGI equipment during any severe weather.