Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and shallow seismic surveys at Calgary International Airport, Alberta

Robert R. Stewart, Han-xing Lu, Donald C. Lawton

A ground-penetrating radar survey was conducted alongside a 2.4 km seismic line at the Calgary international airport, Alberta. The GPR survey used a 250 MHz Noggin system. Shallow structure, to about 1 m depth, is evident on the GPR sections. Preliminary analysis of the GPR data gives velocities from 0.09 m/ns to 0.146 m/ns. We also acquired a shallow 3-C seismic profile. In this case, the hammer seismic line had 20 3-C receivers. We used vertical and SH-horizontal hammer blows on a specially constructed base plate to generate both P and SH waves. Shallow P-wave velocity is measured to be 464 m/s (from interpreted direct arrivals) while the SH velocity is 285 m/s. Stacking velocities were 400 m/s and 200 m/s for P and SH-waves, respectively. A brute stack section indicates reflectors to depths of about 20 m.