The Application of Ground-Penetrating Radar Method for Detecting Buried Human Bodies on the Cikutra Graveyard, Indonesia

摘要

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can be used to study shallow subsurface of the earth. GPR can be utilized to detect buried human bodies that suffered landslides or buried by other causes. A detailed ground-penetrating survey was conducted in the Cikutra graveyard, Bandung on a corpse buried two weeks from the time of the survey. Processing the data was carried out to filter out noise and to improve the resolution. The radar profiles from this survey produced hyperbolic reflections, emanated from the corpse. The hyperbolic reflection was strongest in the abdomen region compared to the head and the legs of the corpse. The result of data processing shows similarity between data from the survey and the actual location of the human body. We obtained the hyperbolic reflection at around 1.5 meters depth which is consistent with the depth of the buried corpse.