Acquisition of a Ground Penetrating Radar System for Undergraduate Instruction

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Imaging of the shallow subsurface has been an area of intense research activity in recent years, fueled, in part, by the need for detailed knowledge of the near surface. This information is required not only for the environmental assessment of the contaminated subsurface in the remediation of buried waste sites, but also for shallow resource exploration and geotechnical engineering. Under favorable conditions, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), an electromagnetic sounding technique, provides detailed subsurface information to depths of 30 meters or more beneath the ground surface. This project details the acquisition of a state-of-the-art GPR system to enhance the field laboratory capabilities of the Geophysical Engineering Department. The acquisition of a GPR system provides the following: a method for site investigation that provides high-resolution images of the subsurface, a unique educational tool that enhances the teaching of fundamental concepts of electromagnetic wave propagation and digital signal processing, opportunities to apply basic field skills using the system in a full-scale field project, and a facility to promote undergraduate research. Students in the Geophysical Engineering and Geological Engineering Programs take 6 weeks of a combined geology/geophysics field course. Three weeks of this course are devoted to geophysics. This course provides an opportunity for students to gain field expertise using equipment commonly employed to make geophysical measurements. As a result, this course represents a chance for students to gain field experience using GPR. Moreover, GPR is a topic already included in several other courses. The acquisition of a GPR system allows the information discussed in these courses to become more relevant by providing hands-on use of this instrumentation by the students.