THE ACCURACY OF DEPTH ESTIMATION IN GPR SURVEYS

Abstract

The determination of the reflection depth can be very important in the ground penetrating radar (GPR) interpretation. The precise depth estimation is not always necessary but in certain cases, it can be crucial to solve the geological or engineering problem. Being aware of the possible anomaly depth ranges and their errors is even more important. The difference between the observation depth assuming dielectrics and lossy medium is compared in this study. The possible depth estimation error ranges are presented in realistic conditions. Forward modeling examples show the characteristics and differences of the dielectric and of the lossy medium. Parameter sensitivity calculations were performed in order to characterize the effect of slight EM parameter changes on other GPR parameters (e.g. wave propagation velocities).