Evaluation of ice-coupled and elevated GPR antenna acquisition on ice

Tyler L. MacFarlane, Robert James Ferguson

Two acquisition methods for near surface Ground Penetratin g Radar (GPR) are compared for acquisition in ice-over-fresh-water-over-grou nd environments. In the first method, the antennae are coupled directly to the ice as in conventional acquisition. In the second approach, the antennae are elevated 0.5 m above the ice surfa ce to mimic floatation of the antennae. Numerical comparison of reflectivity suggests th at no significant degradation of signal results from elevation of the antennae relative to the ice-coupled. We verify the numerical result with a real-data acquisition at Ghost Lake , Alberta. Data acquired over the same linear traverse are compared, and no significant deg radation of the target signal, ice-thickness and the lake bottom, is apparent.