As a result, a fluctuation in the corrosion potential is observed; initially, the potential decreases rapidly due to the charging of the double layer capacitance and, subsequently, it recovers as a result of the progressive consumption of charge by the cathodic reaction. The described process is known as an anodic event, and a similar description can be given for cathodic events. Depending on the material-environment combination, anodic or cathodic events can be relatively large and
occasional, such as for a passive material suffering metastable pitting, or relatively small and frequent, such as for materials undergoing active corrosion