Abstract: Nondestructive/noncontact evaluation of a material for electrical and magnetic property discontinuities, e.g., a dielectric loss or the presence of a conducting contaminant, is accomplished by using microwaves to heat microwave-absorbing regions of the material caused by such discontinuities; monitoring the change in temperature of the material's surface due to the heating of the microwave-absorbing region as a function of time; and detecting the electrical and magnetic property discontinuities, e.g., the dielectric loss or the conducting contaminant, using the change in the material's surface temperature.