Automated ground-penetrating-radar post-processing software in R programming

Abstract

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a nondestructive geophysical technique used to create images of the subsurface. A major limitation of GPR is that a subject matter expert (SME) needs to post-process and interpret the data, limiting the technique’s use. Post-processing is time-intensive and, for detailed processing, requires proprietary software. The goal of this study is to develop automated GPR post-processing software, compatible with Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI) data, in open-source R programming. This would eliminate the need for an SME to process GPR data, remove proprietary software dependencies, and render GPR more accessible. This study collected GPR profiles by using a GSSI SIR4000 control unit, a 100 MHz antenna, and a Trimble GPS. A standardized method for post-processing data was then established, which includes static data removal, time-zero correction, distance normalization, data filtering, and stacking. These steps were scripted and automated in R programming, excluding data filtering, which was used from an existing package, RGPR. The study compared profiles processed using GSSI software to profiles processed using the R script developed here to ensure comparable functionality and output. While an SME is currently still necessary for interpretations, this script eliminates the need for one to post-process GSSI GPR data.