Ground penetrating radar imaging of the freshwater/saltwater interface on a carbonate island, Key Largo, Florida

Sarah E. Kruse; James C. Schneider; James A. Inman; James A. Allen

doi:10.1117/12.383588

27 April 2000 Ground penetrating radar imaging of the freshwater/saltwater interface on a carbonate island, Key Largo, Florida

Sarah E. Kruse, James C. Schneider, James A. Inman, James A. Allen

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4084, Eighth International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.383588
Event: 8th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar, 2000, Gold Coast, Australia

Abstract

Finite-difference time-domain models of radar wave propagation at freshwater/saltwater transition zones indicate that a reflected event from the electrical conductivity gradient at the top of the transition zone may be detected. Ground penetrating radar surveys were used together with a suite of geophysical techniques in a reconnaissance survey to delineate the freshwater lens on the island of Key Largo, Florida, USA. In the interior of north Key Largo, the water table lies at approximately 3 m depth. There a 1 - 1.5-m thick freshwater lens overlies a 2 to 3-m transition zone to saline water. 50 MHz GPR surveys show a strong water table event followed by a weaker event that correlates with the top of the freshwater/seawater transition. Nearby cores show no lithologic discontinuities in this depth range. In lower-lying areas with minimal freshwater, an enigmatic high-amplitude high-frequency event follows the water table event closely in time. The field data indicate that reflections from the freshwater/saltwater interface may be resolved in environments with fresh water above the transition zone and with a relatively sharp conductivity gradient at the top of the freshwater/saltwater interface.

Citation Download Citation

Sarah E. Kruse, James C. Schneider, James A. Inman, and James A. Allen "Ground penetrating radar imaging of the freshwater/saltwater interface on a carbonate island, Key Largo, Florida", Proc. SPIE 4084, Eighth International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar, (27 April 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.383588

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