scholarly journals High-resolution hydrothermal structure of Hansbreen, Spitsbergen, mapped by ground-penetrating radar

1999 ◽  
Vol 45 (151) ◽  
pp. 524-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Moore ◽  
A. Pälli ◽  
F. Ludwig ◽  
H. Blatter ◽  
J. Jania ◽  
...  

AbstractDetailed ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys at 50 and 200 MHz on Hansbreen, a polythermal glacier in southern Svalbard, are presented and interpreted. Comparison of the variations in character of the radar reflections with borehole thermometry and water levels in moulins suggests that GPR can be used to study the hydrothermal properties of the glacier. The high resolution of the GPR data shows that the hydrothermal structure of the glacier is highly variable both along the centre line and on transverse profiles. Water contents for many places and depths within the glacier were calculated by estimating radar-wave velocities to point reflectors. We find typical water contents of 1-2% for the temperate ice, but wetter ice associated with surface crevassing and moulins (typically 4% water content). There is evidence that wet ice sometimes overlays drier ice. The hydrothermal structure is thus shown to be very complex. Temperature gradients in the cold ice indicate freezing rates of temperate ice below cold ice of 0.1-0.5 ma-1, while isolated point reflectors within the cold ice indicate large water-filled bodies that are probably related to the regular drainage structure of the glacier.

1999 ◽  
Vol 45 (151) ◽  
pp. 524-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Moore ◽  
A. Pälli ◽  
F. Ludwig ◽  
H. Blatter ◽  
J. Jania ◽  
...  

AbstractDetailed ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys at 50 and 200 MHz on Hansbreen, a polythermal glacier in southern Svalbard, are presented and interpreted. Comparison of the variations in character of the radar reflections with borehole thermometry and water levels in moulins suggests that GPR can be used to study the hydrothermal properties of the glacier. The high resolution of the GPR data shows that the hydrothermal structure of the glacier is highly variable both along the centre line and on transverse profiles. Water contents for many places and depths within the glacier were calculated by estimating radar-wave velocities to point reflectors. We find typical water contents of 1-2% for the temperate ice, but wetter ice associated with surface crevassing and moulins (typically 4% water content). There is evidence that wet ice sometimes overlays drier ice. The hydrothermal structure is thus shown to be very complex. Temperature gradients in the cold ice indicate freezing rates of temperate ice below cold ice of 0.1-0.5 ma-1, while isolated point reflectors within the cold ice indicate large water-filled bodies that are probably related to the regular drainage structure of the glacier.


2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Granlund ◽  
Angela Lundberg ◽  
James Feiccabrino ◽  
David Gustafsson

Ground penetrating radar operated from helicopters or snowmobiles is used to determine snow water equivalent (SWE) for annual snowpacks from radar wave two-way travel time. However, presence of liquid water in a snowpack is known to decrease the radar wave velocity, which for a typical snowpack with 5% (by volume) liquid water can lead to an overestimation of SWE by about 20%. It would therefore be beneficial if radar measurements could also be used to determine snow wetness. Our approach is to use radar wave attenuation in the snowpack, which depends on electrical properties of snow (permittivity and conductivity) which in turn depend on snow wetness. The relationship between radar wave attenuation and these electrical properties can be derived theoretically, while the relationship between electrical permittivity and snow wetness follows a known empirical formula, which also includes snow density. Snow wetness can therefore be determined from radar wave attenuation if the relationship between electrical conductivity and snow wetness is also known. In a laboratory test, three sets of measurements were made on initially dry 1 m thick snowpacks. Snow wetness was controlled by stepwise addition of water between radar measurements, and a linear relationship between electrical conductivity and snow wetness was established.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sendrós ◽  
A. Casas ◽  
C. Abancó ◽  
L. Rivero ◽  
R. Garcia-Artigas ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 1125-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Klenk ◽  
S. Jaumann ◽  
K. Roth

Abstract. High-resolution time-lapse ground-penetrating radar (GPR) observations of advancing and retreating water tables can yield a wealth of information about near-surface water content dynamics. In this study, we present and analyze a series of imbibition, drainage and infiltration experiments that have been carried out at our artificial ASSESS test site and observed with surface-based GPR. The test site features a complicated but known subsurface architecture constructed with three different kinds of sand. It allows the study of soil water dynamics with GPR under a wide range of different conditions. Here, we assess in particular (i) the feasibility of monitoring the dynamic shape of the capillary fringe reflection and (ii) the relative precision of monitoring soil water dynamics averaged over the whole vertical extent by evaluating the bottom reflection. The phenomenology of the GPR response of a dynamically changing capillary fringe is developed from a soil physical point of view. We then explain experimentally observed phenomena based on numerical simulations of both the water content dynamics and the expected GPR response.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-298
Author(s):  
Niklas Allroggen ◽  
Adam D. Booth ◽  
Sandra E. Baker ◽  
Stephen A. Ellwood ◽  
Jens Tronicke

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Immo Trinks ◽  
Alois Hinterleitner ◽  
Wolfgang Neubauer ◽  
Erich Nau ◽  
Klaus Löcker ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 2146
Author(s):  
Eusebio Stucchi ◽  
Adriano Ribolini ◽  
Andrea Tognarelli

We aim at verifying whether the use of high-resolution coherency functionals could improve the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of Ground-Penetrating Radar data by introducing a variable and precisely picked velocity field in the migration process. After carrying out tests on synthetic data to schematically simulate the problem, assessing the types of functionals most suitable for GPR data analysis, we estimated a varying velocity field relative to a real dataset. This dataset was acquired in an archaeological area where an excavation after a GPR survey made it possible to define the position, type, and composition of the detected targets. Two functionals, the Complex Matched Coherency Measure and the Complex Matched Analysis, turned out to be effective in computing coherency maps characterized by high-resolution and strong noise rejection, where velocity picking can be done with high precision. By using the 2D velocity field thus obtained, migration algorithms performed better than in the case of constant or 1D velocity field, with satisfactory collapsing of the diffracted events and moving of the reflected energy in the correct position. The varying velocity field was estimated on different lines and used to migrate all the GPR profiles composing the survey covering the entire archaeological area. The time slices built with the migrated profiles resulted in a higher S/N than those obtained from non-migrated or migrated at constant velocity GPR profiles. The improvements are inherent to the resolution, continuity, and energy content of linear reflective areas. On the basis of our experience, we can state that the use of high-resolution coherency functionals leads to migrated GPR profiles with a high-grade of hyperbolas focusing. These profiles favor better imaging of the targets of interest, thereby allowing for a more reliable interpretation.


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