Prospecting and Evaluation of Underground Massive Ice by Ground-Penetrating Radar

• Published in: Geosciences
• Main Authors: Kirill Sokolov, Larisa Fedorova, Maksim Fedorov
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020
• Subjects: ground-penetrating radar; massive ice; gprMax; simulation; features; signal; Geology; QE1-996.5; Arctic; Climate change; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10070274; https://doaj.org/article/309014544f2c49bd8c0cc7f75618e50f

Data from geocryological studies of soil and rock massifs in permafrost zone are very important as a basis for predicting possible negative consequences associated with climate change. A promising technique for studying geocryological structures (various types of underground ice) is the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) method. This paper presents the applications of the GPR method to prospect and evaluate massive ice in a frozen rock mass. To study the features of GPR signals received during sounding of underground ice, a model of a single GPR trace for the structure “frozen rock-ice-frozen rock” was developed. As a result, regularities were established in the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of GPR signals at the upper and lower boundaries of massive ice, depending on its geometric parameters. The established features were confirmed by the results of computer and physical simulation of GPR measurements of a frozen rock mass model. The main result of the study was to obtain a set of criteria for identifying massive ice according to GPR measurements. The developed criteria will allow the use of GPR for a detailed study of the structure of permafrost rocks to prevent the development of dangerous cryogenic processes in undisturbed and urban areas of the Arctic.