Earth’s Cryosphere, 2017, Vol. XXI, No. 3, p. 62-74
GROUND PENETRATING RADAR APPLICATIONS TO PERMAFROST INVESTIGATIONS
M.S. Sudakova1,2, M.R. Sadurtdinov1, G.V. Malkova1,3, A.G. Skvortsov1, A.M. Tsarev1
1 Earth Cryosphere Institute, SB RAS, 86, Malygina str., Tyumen, 625000, Russia; mr_sadurtdinov@mail.ru
2 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Geology,
1, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119234, Russia; m.s.sudakova@yandex.ru
3 Tyumen Industrial Uni-versity, 38, Volodarskogo str., Tyumen, 625026, Russia; galina_malk@mail.ru
The paper presents results of the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) field surveys conducted on the territory of European Russian North in areas with different lithologies and permafrost conditions in the upper part of the geological section. The radar surveys were part of the integrated geological and geophysical studies that also included seismic surveys, lithological differentiation of the near-surface deposits, measurements of the active layer thickness, and moisture content determinations. The GPR method was highly effective for the study of the section represented by sand and sand-peat lithologies, whereas in loamy ground its efficiency proved low. In case of shallow occurrence (at a depth less than 1.5 m) of the upper limit of permafrost, which allows direct measurements, GPR can be used as a supplementary method for more detailed characterization of the active layer – its thickness and spatial variability and other properties, including volumetric moisture estimates calculated from velocities of electromagnetic waves. Alternatively, with the permafrost table occurring deeper than 1.5 m, the GPR proves to be the main technique for determining its position in the section. For more accurate GPR-based identification of geological and geocryological boundaries, the use of seismic results as reference information appears most appropriate. Application of GPR in combination with geocryological and seismic methods appears highly promising for solving various engineering problems, which will contribute to the existing permafrost monitoring frameworks.
GPR, seismic survey, permafrost, active layer