Characterisation of geological thin layer by borehole radar

Abstract

To investigate a thin layer, we conducted borehole radar measurements at the GPR facility of Tohoku University, Japan. Both zero-offset profiling and tomography measurements were used to obtain water content distributions. Analyzing first arrival times with amplitudes, we found that a borehole radar can detect velocity changes caused by a high-water content, which acts as an electromagnetic waveguide. We conducted a 3D FDTD simulation and confirmed that the EM wave propagates as a guided wave in a thin layer related to antenna frequency. We determined a thin geological layer compared to an antenna frequency that cannot be detected by reflection measurement due to the poor radar resolution. By comparing the simulated data with measurement data, we could determine the geological boundary between host layers and a thin layer with high water content. In contrast, both the amplitude and the travel time of direct waves are affected by antenna positions and electrical parameters, including permittivity and conductivity. A vertical velocity profile was obtained by combining complementary zero-offset profiling and tomography data, which can be used to investigate water content distribution. The low-velocity thin layer was characterised by amplitude attenuation and late arrival time.