Analysis of random backscattering in ground-penetrating radar signals to detect subterranean watercourses - Field results and laboratory tests

Abstract

The studies of seismic risk in Barcelona city required nanozonation because measurements of soil response in the plain of Barcelona present sudden changes in small areas, highlighting the importance of a most detailed study to determine the nanozones. The problem lies in the high number of vibration measurement points needed for an appropriate nanozonation that made the analysis time consuming or even unfeasible. Therefore, a previous GPR survey was carried out in relevant zones of the city in order to determine abrupt changes that requires high density of passive seismic measurements. Some previous GPR studies underscore the relation between the noise at consequence of clutter in radar data and the random heterogeneities of the medium. In this paper, GPR is used to detect noise as consequence of clutter due to clusters of materials associated to subterranean streams and paleochannels. In addition, some laboratory test were carried out with the objective of comparing with field survey results. © 2019 24th European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics. All rights reserved.