Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Section V
Ground-Penetrating Radar
Case Histories
Although probably not employed quite to the extent of soil electrical conductivity measurement meth-
ods, such as resistivity and electromagnetic induction, there have been a substantial number of agri-
cultural applications found for ground-penetrating radar (GPR). An historical perspective on the use
of GPR for agricultural purposes and a description of the method can be found in Chapters 1, 3 and 7.
Section V includes case histories describing just a few GPR agricultural applications.
One important recent development has been use of GPR to map the soil volumetric water con-
tent. Spatial maps of soil water content can be valuable for assessing soil drainage conditions and
scheduling irrigation events. The Chapter 23, 24, and 25 case histories cover several aspects regard-
ing the use of GPR to measure the volumetric water content in soil. GPR has also been used in
agricultural settings (including golf courses) to delineate various subsurface features. The case his-
tories in Chapters 26, 27, 28, and 29 provide examples for employing GPR to acquire information
on subsurface features such as the orientation of preferential water flow pathways, soil layer depths
and thicknesses, and the locations of buried drainage pipes. Plant root biomass determination using
GPR is a fairly new area of investigation having significant implications for forestry along with
planting, harvesting, and yield mapping of root crops like potatoes and sugar beets. The last case
history in Chapter 30 is focused on GPR root biomass determination within forest environments.
As indicated by the Section V case histories, there are certainly a variety of potential agricultural
GPR applications, and there are many more GPR uses that could not be included in this section due
to book length considerations.
