Abstract
The imaging of bathymetry and sediment layers in lakes and rivers is challenging due to physical limitations caused by the electrical conductivity of water and sediments, the grain size distribution of sediments, the presence of vegetation, gas and oyster beds along the bottom of water bodies, and wave propagation parameters (e.g., energy, resolution, geometry requirements, etc.). However, the combined use of subbottom profiler (SBP) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) provides complementary information of the bottom and sediment layers that helps to overcome many of the physical limitations caused by the surveyed media and instrumentation. The combination of different wave-based techniques permits obtaining high resolution images of materials and processes in shallow waters. This paper discusses the limitations of the SBP and GPR geophysical techniques and analyzes how these complementary tools can be merged to evaluate underwater systems. The presented discussions are illustrated with examples from erosion processes caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Bay of Biloxi, MS; sediment profiling in lakes Mendota and Wingra in Madison, WI; and evaluation of downcutting in Lake Superior.
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