GEORADAR AND RADIOIMPEDANCE DIAGNOSTICS OF THE SELENGA RIVER WATER AREA

Abstract

The relevance of the work is determined by the fact that no radiowave methods have ever been used to study the water areas of rivers and lakes and their geoelectric sections within the Baikal natural territory (BNT) in winter time. The purpose of the research is to determine the electrical and geometric characteristics of the layered medium "ice – water – bottom soil" and the ice cover of the Selenga River on the BNT in the VLF-LF and VHF radio wave bands according to the data of instrumental radiophysical measurements by GPR and radio impedance methods, including the determination of the structure of the ice crossings over the Selenga River. Using the Selenga River as an example, consideration has been given to the results of combining VLF-LF and VHF methods of electromagnetic diagnostics of a layered medium in a wide range of radio waves (from tens of kilohertz to units of gigahertz). Radio impedance profiling and sounding in the VLF-LF bands with the IPI-300 equipment made it possible to determine the sub-bottom structure of the soil from the change in impedance and geoelectric section. GPR in the VHF band made it possible to differentiate the fine structure of the Selenga River in winter by thickness of snow, ice and water. The sounding involved the use of georadar "Oko-2" with antenna units "Triton" (central frequency 50 MHz), AB-400 (central frequency 400 MHz), AB-700 (central frequency 700 MHz), and AB-1700 (central frequency 1700 MHz). The thickness of ice of the road crossing in the Mostovoy microdistrict of Ulan-Ude city was 0.5–1.2 m – 0.1–0.2 m thicker than that beyond the road crossing. It was found that the presence of snow cover beyond the road crossing prevents the ice mass from freezing. Calibration sounding of ice with borehole drilling yielded ice dielectric constant ε=3.17. The specific electrical resistance (SER) of water from boreholes is 71–74 Ohm·m at a temperature of 1 °C. The methods used complement each other and provide a quantitative description of the object of research. The integration of various methods of radio wave diagnostics provides more detailed information on the structure of the layered medium "ice – water – bottom soil". The obtained results and the developed methods of radio impedance and GPR sounding and profiling of an inhomogeneously layered underlying environment in winter time can be used in engineering and geological surveys in the eastern and northern regions of Russia.