This PhD research is based on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) imaging and characterization of glacial and periglacial environments. Its main focus is the assessment of the physical meaning of electromagnetic (EM) facies of frozen materials, proving that a detailed analysis of the geophysical data and often the integration with other prospecting techniques is essential because inferences on some kind of facies could not be clearly unambiguous. Chapters 2 and 3 of this dissertation present the characterization of a high scattered facies within an ice body, which was proved to be not straightforwardly related to warm ice and the presence of liquid water, as usually occurs in GPR data. An investigation approach based on differential diagnosis of the information obtained by different techniques (as GPR, photogrammetry, geomorphology) was proposed, representing something completely new for geophysical applications. Once such a facies was related to englacial debris within the ice, GPR modelling and inversion were fundamental to provide a first quantification of the debris causing the high scattered zone through a scattering amplitude inversion approach based on the combined analysis of synthetic and field data. It resulted that just a percentage below 10% in volume can produce the high scattered facies imaged on GPR data. A second focus of the research, arising from the main one, gets the issue of the ambiguity of the interpretation, the integration of techniques and the role of debris in a glacial body for improving both the characterization of an Alpine glacier and the geometrical imaging of Antarctic environments. The outcome of these researches, which are still ongoing, points out the relation between some surficial structures and the subsurface, revealing much more complex settings than expected just from geomorphological analysis and local drilling. As a matter of fact, this research deepened the knowledge in the identification of peculiar EM facies, including dead ice patches, and morphologies which affect the occurrence of periglacial elements and mixed glacial and fluvio-glacial features. Such research allowed to develop dedicated and new methodology of data analysis, considering GPR attribute analysis, differential diagnosis and the scattering amplitude approach for GPR inversion. The outcomes reached through this research are innovative, as they open new research possibilities and define the road ahead not only for future GPR glaciological researches, but also for different practical applications.

This PhD research is based on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) imaging and characterization of glacial and periglacial environments. Its main focus is the assessment of the physical meaning of electromagnetic (EM) facies of frozen materials, proving that a detailed analysis of the geophysical data and often the integration with other prospecting techniques is essential because inferences on some kind of facies could not be clearly unambiguous. Chapters 2 and 3 of this dissertation present the characterization of a high scattered facies within an ice body, which was proved to be not straightforwardly related to warm ice and the presence of liquid water, as usually occurs in GPR data. An investigation approach based on differential diagnosis of the information obtained by different techniques (as GPR, photogrammetry, geomorphology) was proposed, representing something completely new for geophysical applications. Once such a facies was related to englacial debris within the ice, GPR modelling and inversion were fundamental to provide a first quantification of the debris causing the high scattered zone through a scattering amplitude inversion approach based on the combined analysis of synthetic and field data. It resulted that just a percentage below 10% in volume can produce the high scattered facies imaged on GPR data. A second focus of the research, arising from the main one, gets the issue of the ambiguity of the interpretation, the integration of techniques and the role of debris in a glacial body for improving both the characterization of an Alpine glacier and the geometrical imaging of Antarctic environments. The outcome of these researches, which are still ongoing, points out the relation between some surficial structures and the subsurface, revealing much more complex settings than expected just from geomorphological analysis and local drilling. As a matter of fact, this research deepened the knowledge in the identification of peculiar EM facies, including dead ice patches, and morphologies which affect the occurrence of periglacial elements and mixed glacial and fluvio-glacial features. Such research allowed to develop dedicated and new methodology of data analysis, considering GPR attribute analysis, differential diagnosis and the scattering amplitude approach for GPR inversion. The outcomes reached through this research are innovative, as they open new research possibilities and define the road ahead not only for future GPR glaciological researches, but also for different practical applications.

Integrated Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) imaging and characterization of glacial and periglacial environments / Santin, Ilaria. - (2023 May 26).

Integrated Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) imaging and characterization of glacial and periglacial environments

SANTIN, ILARIA
2023-05-26

Abstract

This PhD research is based on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) imaging and characterization of glacial and periglacial environments. Its main focus is the assessment of the physical meaning of electromagnetic (EM) facies of frozen materials, proving that a detailed analysis of the geophysical data and often the integration with other prospecting techniques is essential because inferences on some kind of facies could not be clearly unambiguous. Chapters 2 and 3 of this dissertation present the characterization of a high scattered facies within an ice body, which was proved to be not straightforwardly related to warm ice and the presence of liquid water, as usually occurs in GPR data. An investigation approach based on differential diagnosis of the information obtained by different techniques (as GPR, photogrammetry, geomorphology) was proposed, representing something completely new for geophysical applications. Once such a facies was related to englacial debris within the ice, GPR modelling and inversion were fundamental to provide a first quantification of the debris causing the high scattered zone through a scattering amplitude inversion approach based on the combined analysis of synthetic and field data. It resulted that just a percentage below 10% in volume can produce the high scattered facies imaged on GPR data. A second focus of the research, arising from the main one, gets the issue of the ambiguity of the interpretation, the integration of techniques and the role of debris in a glacial body for improving both the characterization of an Alpine glacier and the geometrical imaging of Antarctic environments. The outcome of these researches, which are still ongoing, points out the relation between some surficial structures and the subsurface, revealing much more complex settings than expected just from geomorphological analysis and local drilling. As a matter of fact, this research deepened the knowledge in the identification of peculiar EM facies, including dead ice patches, and morphologies which affect the occurrence of periglacial elements and mixed glacial and fluvio-glacial features. Such research allowed to develop dedicated and new methodology of data analysis, considering GPR attribute analysis, differential diagnosis and the scattering amplitude approach for GPR inversion. The outcomes reached through this research are innovative, as they open new research possibilities and define the road ahead not only for future GPR glaciological researches, but also for different practical applications.
26-mag-2023
FORTE, Emanuele
35
2021/2022
Settore GEO/11 - Geofisica Applicata
Università degli Studi di Trieste
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11368/3048171
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