Ground-Penetrating Radar

A Comparison to Seismic Reflection…

Covered very briefly in Chapter 14, pgs. 227-231

 Transmitter/Receiver Vs. Geophones
Seismic Reflection
• One source
• Lots of geophones
• Stacking and Velocity
performed in one step
• Moveout
• Peak Power
GPR
• One source (Transmitter)
• One receiver
• Both are antennas
• Stacking performed by
repeating the EM pulse
• Moveout
• Peak Power
GPR Travel Time Equation

Two Way Travel Time =

 Radar Velocity
• In seismic reflection, velocity is found during stacking from
the moveout patterns
• In GPR, we only have one receiver, so we need a different
method
• Fixed offset survey (i.e. a normal survey)
• Look for point sources (hyperbolas)
• Common Midpoint Survey (CMP)
• Get reflections off of a horizontal reflector
• Increase antenna spacing, repeat
• Produces a hyperbola
Common Midpoint Surveying
• Antennas are moved
away from each other
by a certain amount
each measurement

• Survey is performed
over a horizontal
reflector
GPR Travel Time Equation

Two Way Travel Time =

Common Midpoint Surveying

Slope = 19.61 ns/m

Velocity = 0.051 m/ns
 Velocity in Fixed Offset Surveys
• In a regular, fixed offset survey, radar velocity can be
determined only if diffraction hyperbolas are encountered
• Typically point sources
Velocity in Fixed Offset Surveys
Velocity in Fixed Offset Surveys
 Source Wave Properties
Seismic Surveys
Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) (Refraction/Reflection)
Electromagnetic Waves Seismic Waves
• Microwaves / Radio Waves • P, S, R, L waves
• Velocity (in air)≈ 3x105 km/s • Velocity ≈ 0.4-14 km/s
• I.e. the speed of light (0.3 m/ns) • Depends on mechanical
• Slower in most geologic properties of medium (elastic
materials (0.02 – 0.2 m/ns) moduli and density)
• Depends on electromagnetic
properties of medium
• Frequency ≈ 10-2000 MHz • Frequency = 0.1-100 Hz
• Depends on antenna • Depends on source

• Wavelength ≈ 30-1.5x10-8 m • Wavelength = 140-4,000 m

 GPR Frequency Comparison
• Higher Frequency
• Better detail
• Less penetration (penetration also depends on material)
 Attenuation Comparison
Seismic Surveys
Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) (Refraction/Reflection)
Electromagnetic Waves Seismic Waves
• Decay Exponentially with • Decay Exponentially with
distance from source distance from source
• Spherical spreading • Spherical spreading
• Can’t penetrate through • Can’t penetrate through
electrically conductive inelastic layers
materials • Fluids
• Metals/Metallic Ores • Fault/Fracture Zones
• Saltwater • Scatter waves
• Clays/Muds
Attenuation
 What Causes a Reflection?
Seismic Surveys
Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) (Refraction/Reflection)
Electromagnetic Waves Seismic Waves
• Change in relative permittivity • Change in acoustic impedance
Acoustic Impedance = ρv
arefl  2v2  1v1
R 
c = speed of light aincid  2 v2  1v1
εr = Relative Permittivity

Relative Permittivity: a measure of the ability of a material

to store a charge when an electric field is applied

Reflection Coefficient:
 Visualization of Data
• Identical to seismic reflection
• Wiggle traces
• Variable Area
• Variable Density