Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) for imaging stratigraphic features and groundwater in sand dunes

Abstract

In this work, the internal structures of some sand dunes from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and Moreton Island in Australia have been visualized using the GPR technique. The depth of penetration that was achieved is limited (less than 35 m using a 100-MHz antenna, and approximately 9 m using a 500-MHz antenna), but the excellent spatial resolution has made it possible to clearly identify internal dune bedding features such as cross-laminations. It is shown that a radargram of a sand dune can be interpreted to provide clues about the evolutional history of the dune. The groundwater table inside a dune, when present, is shown to be detectable using GPR provided the appropriate antenna frequency is used. Also, discrete wetting fronts and preferential flow paths have been visualized in dunes that have become saturated after episodes of rain, indicating that internal groundwater movement in dunes appears to be controlled by stratigraphic features.