Student Research Reports

View Research Report

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to benefit from renewable energy sources through Vision 2030 and to achieve environmental sustainability for all generations. As individuals in this society, and through our observations of climate change, we have conducted a study on the effect of the electric field on soil and the potential benefit of the increasing lightning phenomenon in the Kingdom as a source to enhance soil fertility. We conducted an experiment on two samples, one exposed to an electric field generated by a 0.02A current, and we reached the following results: 1- The electric field affects the alkalinity of the soil 2- If an electric field with a current intensity of 0.02A affects the soil’s alkalinity, it is certain that lightning, which has a field strength exceeding 1A, will have a significant impact on soil alkalinity. 3-Through the theoretical framework, we observed that certain types of plants prefer alkaline soil, especially in desert regions. Therefore, lightning can be greatly beneficial, as each lightning strike generates an electric field and causes a discharge into the ground. Lightning rods can be installed in desert areas to make the soil alkaline, which could then be used to grow plants that prefer alkaline soil 4- Another study could be conducted by increasing the magnitude of the electric field or the duration of exposure to the electric field, and examining the effect of that on soil alkalinity. 5- Due to the lack of sufficient equipment to study soil characteristics, and our focus solely on alkalinity, it may be possible to conduct further studies on other characteristics, such as nitrates, nitrogen, or the increase and decrease of nutrients in the soil Our recommendations were as follows: 1Conduct further studies to explore the value of the electric field and the duration of its exposure to plants. 2- Expand the study to include other soil characteristics, such as nitrates or soil mineral elements. 3-Conduct experiments on lightning using lightning rods over specific areas and observe their impact on the soil.