The GPR refraction method

Refracted phases have been a recognized feature in wide‐angle common midpoint (CMP) and common shotpoint (CSP) ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) surveys for many years, but historically their use has been limited and overshadowed by conventional reflection profiling techniques. In truth, the GPR refraction method holds great promise, as we show using four field examples from three sites in the northeastern United States. Typical refractors are shallow bedrock or coarse‐grained unconsolidated sediments (where the dielectric constant K ≈ 6–7) beneath partially saturated fine‐grained sand or silt (K ≈ 15–16). Under appropriate conditions, refracted phases can be detected readily at transmitter–receiver (Tx–Rx) offsets of >15 m and from depths of >2 m.Adapting procedures from refraction seismology, we interpret GPR data from reversed CSP soundings using dipping planar interface models and delay time analyses. Results from the two approaches are quite consistent, further corroborated at one of the sites by a GPR ...

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