scholarly journals Targeted reflection-waveform inversion of experimental ground-penetrating radar data for quantification of oil spills under sea ice

Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. WA59-WA70 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Bradford ◽  
Esther L. Babcock ◽  
Hans-Peter Marshall ◽  
David F. Dickins
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Waveform Inversion ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Inversion Algorithm ◽  
Control Value ◽  
Ground Penetrating

Rapid spill detection and mapping are needed with increasing levels of oil exploration and production in the Arctic. Previous work has found that ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is effective for qualitative identification of oil spills under, and encapsulated within, sea ice. Quantifying the spill distribution will aid effective spill response. To this end, we have developed a targeted GPR reflection-waveform inversion algorithm to quantify the geometry of oil spills under and within sea ice. With known electric properties of the ice and oil, we have inverted for oil thickness and variations in ice thickness. We have tested the algorithm with data collected during a controlled spill experiment using 500-MHz radar reflection data. The algorithm simultaneously recovered the thickness of a 5-cm-thick oil layer at the base of the ice to within 8% of the control value, estimated the thickness of a 1-cm-thick oil layer encapsulated within the ice to within 30% of the control value, and accurately mapped centimeter-scale variations in ice thickness.

scholarly journals Ice thickness distribution of all Swiss glaciers based on extended ground-penetrating radar data and glaciological modeling

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Melchior Grab ◽  
Enrico Mattea ◽  
Andreas Bauder ◽  
Matthias Huss ◽  
Lasse Rabenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Thickness Distribution ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Hazard Management ◽  
Bed Topography ◽  
Ice Volume ◽  
Ground Penetrating

Abstract Accurate knowledge of the ice thickness distribution and glacier bed topography is essential for predicting dynamic glacier changes and the future developments of downstream hydrology, which are impacting the energy sector, tourism industry and natural hazard management. Using AIR-ETH, a new helicopter-borne ground-penetrating radar (GPR) platform, we measured the ice thickness of all large and most medium-sized glaciers in the Swiss Alps during the years 2016–20. Most of these had either never or only partially been surveyed before. With this new dataset, 251 glaciers – making up 81% of the glacierized area – are now covered by GPR surveys. For obtaining a comprehensive estimate of the overall glacier ice volume, ice thickness distribution and glacier bed topography, we combined this large amount of data with two independent modeling algorithms. This resulted in new maps of the glacier bed topography with unprecedented accuracy. The total glacier volume in the Swiss Alps was determined to be 58.7 ± 2.5 km3 in the year 2016. By projecting these results based on mass-balance data, we estimated a total ice volume of 52.9 ± 2.7 km3 for the year 2020. Data and modeling results are accessible in the form of the SwissGlacierThickness-R2020 data package.

Quantitative multi-layer electromagnetic induction inversion and full-waveform inversion of crosshole ground penetrating radar data

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 844-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan van der Kruk ◽  
Nils Gueting ◽  
Anja Klotzsche ◽  
Guowei He ◽  
Sebastian Rudolph ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Electromagnetic Induction ◽  
Waveform Inversion ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Full Waveform Inversion ◽  
Full Waveform ◽  
Ground Penetrating

Assessing the potential to detect oil spills in and under snow using airborne ground-penetrating radar

Geophysics ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. G1-G12 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Bradford ◽  
David F. Dickins ◽  
Per Johan Brandvik
Keyword(s):  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Unsaturated Flow ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Impedance Contrast ◽  
Snow Stratigraphy ◽  
Natural Snow ◽  
Ground Penetrating

With recent increased interest in oil and gas exploration and development in the Arctic comes increased potential for an accidental hydrocarbon release into the cryosphere, including within and at the base of snow. There is a critical need to develop effective and reliable methods for detecting such spills. Numerical modeling shows that ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is sensitive to the presence of oil in the snow pack over a broad range of snow densities and oil types. Oil spills from the surface drain through the snow by the mechanisms of unsaturated flow and form geometrically complex distributions that are controlled by snow stratigraphy. These complex distributions generate an irregular pattern of radar reflections that can be differentiated from natural snow stratigraphy, but in many cases, interpretation will not be straightforward. Oil located at the base of the snow tends to reduce the impedance contrast with the underlying ice or soil substrate resulting in anomalously low-amplitude radar reflections. Results of a controlled field experiment using a helicopter-borne, [Formula: see text] GPR system showed that a [Formula: see text]-thick oil film trapped between snow and sea ice was detected based on a 51% decrease in reflection strength. This is the first reported test of GPR for the problem of oil detection in and under snow. Results indicate that GPR has the potential to become a robust tool that can substantially improve oil spill characterization and remediation.

Full-waveform inversion of cross-hole ground-penetrating radar data to characterize a gravel aquifer close to the Thur River, Switzerland

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 635-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Klotzsche ◽  
Jan van der Kruk ◽  
Giovanni Angelo Meles ◽  
Joseph Doetsch ◽  
Hansruedi Maurer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Waveform Inversion ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Full Waveform Inversion ◽  
Full Waveform ◽  
Ground Penetrating ◽  
Gravel Aquifer
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