3D ground-penetrating radar imaging of ice complex depositsudin northern East Siberia

摘要

Ice complex deposits are characteristic, ice-rich formationsudin northern East Siberia and represent an important partudin the arctic carbon pool. Recently, these late Quaternary depositsudare the objective of numerous investigations typicallyudrelying on outcrop and borehole data. Many of these studiesudcan benefit from a 3D structural model of the subsurface forudupscaling their observations or for constraining estimationsudof inventories, such as the local carbon stock. We have addressedudthis problem of structural imaging by 3D ground penetratingudradar (GPR), which, in permafrost studies,udhas been primarily used for 2D profiling. We have used aud3D kinematic GPR surveying strategy at a field site locatedudin the New Siberian Archipelago on top of an ice complex.udAfter applying a 3D GPR processing sequence, we were ableudto trace two horizons at depths below 20 m. Taking availableudborehole and outcrop data into account, we have interpretedudthese two features as interfaces of major lithologic units andudderived a 3D cryostratigraphic model of the subsurface. Ouruddata example demonstrated that a 3D surveying and processingudstrategy was crucial at our field site and showed the potentialudof 3D GPR to image geologic structures in complexudice-rich permafrost landscapes.