Two different equations, both of which are often called ‘the Cole–Cole equation’, are widely used to fit experimental Spectral Induced Polarization data. The data are compared on the basis of fitting model parameters: the chargeability, the time constant and the exponent. The difference between the above two equations (the Cole–Cole equation proposed by the Cole brothers and Pelton's equation) is manifested in one of the fitting parameters, the time constant. The Cole–Cole time constant is an inverse of the peak angular frequency of the imaginary conductivity, while Pelton's time constant depends on the chargeability and exponent values. The difference between the time constant values corresponding to the above two equations grows with the increase of the chargeability value, and with the decrease of the Cole–Cole exponent value. This issue must be taken into consideration when comparing the experimental data sets for high polarizability media presented in terms of the Cole–Cole parameters.

We studied artificial ore models that contained galena, pyrite, magnetite, graphite and cryptomelane with the time domain induced polarization technique. The models were mixtures of sand and metallic-type, electronically conductive mineral particles. We varied the volumetric content of the particles, their mineral composition and average grain size, as well as the pore water salinity. Based on the Debye decomposition approach, we obtained relaxation time distributions, which contained peaks. From these distributions, we obtained the total chargeability and the peak relaxation time. We correlated these parameters with the particle mineral composition, grain size, particle content and the pore solution resistivity. We also compared the experimental data with the Wong model prediction, which was unable to explain the entire data set. The above-mentioned correlations, in conjunction with some previously published data, allowed us to formulate a new, semi-empirical model that links (1) the total chargeability with the volumetric content of the particles and the total chargeability of the host matrix and (2) the time constant with the particle mineralogy, the particle radius and the pore solution resistivity.

Summary. We investigated electrical and physical–chemical properties of six sandstone samples with contrasting mineralogical characteristics and with hydraulic