Application of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to fluvial deposits in flume experiment

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Ground penetrating radar (GPR) offers a fast and efficient method for visualizing three-dimensional (3D) images of shallow subsurface structures. The research reported here the application of GPR for nondestructive imaging of deposits formed in a small experimental flume. This research used two separate runs for (1) selecting a frequency of the GPR antenna with appropriate resolution for analyzing experimental structures, (2) reconstructing 3D buried architecture in a flume and (3) revealing characteristics of reflection boundaries. Experimental materials were loamy soil, magnetite sand and quartz sand. The first run showed that a 1.5 GHz antenna was suited for laboratory use, offering depth resolution estimated at 3-5 cm and full penetration of a water-saturated sediment bed 10-25 cm thick. The GPR scanning yielded a reconstruction of the 3D architecture of a model river channel using magnetite marker beds, with the depth and width of channel accurately detected and delineated from the GPR profiles. The second run successfully imaged a boundary surface between loamy soil and quartz sand defined by the difference in their dielectric permittivities.