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SPECIAL SECTION: GROUND PENETRATING RADAR IN HYDROGEOPHYSICS

Hydrostratigraphic Characterization of Glaciofluvial Deposits Underlying an Infiltration Basin Using Ground Penetrating Radar

^a Univ. de Lyon, 69003 Lyon, France, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement, E.N.T.P.E., rue M. Audin, 69518 Vaulx-en-Velin, France
^b Dep. Génie de la Construction, Ecole de Technologie Supérieure, 1100 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal, QC H3C 1K3, Canada
^c Laboratoire de Geophysique Interne et Tectonophysique, UMR CNRS 5559, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France, and Laboratoire Régional des Ponts et Chaussées, Boulevard de l'Industrie, B.P. 141, 71404 Autun Cedex, France
^d Centre des Sciences de la Terre, UMR CNRS 5561 Biogéosciences, Université de Bourgogne, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
^e Dep. des Génies Civil, Géologique et des Mines, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, C.P. 6079, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
^* Corresponding author (goutaland{at}entpe.fr or winiarski{at}entpe.fr).

Received 8 January 2007.

An understanding of the heterogeneity of quaternary gravelly deposits is required to predict flow and contaminant transfer through these formations. In such deposits, preferential flow paths can lead to contamination at depths greater than predicted under the assumption of a homogeneous medium. The difficulties in characterizing their complex structure with conventional methods represent an obstacle for this prediction. In this study, we developed an approach relying on the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) for the detection of sedimentary depositional units. A genetic interpretation of the radar stratigraphy allowed us to construct a distribution model of lithofacies. The study was conducted on glaciofluvial deposits underlying a stormwater infiltration basin. Two main system tracts were characterized: a top stratum (50–80 cm deep) corresponding to massive gravel and open-framework gravel, and a base stratum corresponding to trough-fill structures with associated sandy, open-framework, massive, and matrix-rich gravelly lithofacies. The knowledge of the hydraulic properties linked to each lithofacies led us to propose a hydrostratigraphic model. Based on this model, we formulated a hypothesis about the hydraulic behavior of the deposit during stormwater infiltration. Open-framework gravels can act, during complete saturation, as preferential flow paths, and capillary barrier effects may occur under variably saturated conditions. These hypotheses were tested by measuring water content variations (using time domain reflectometry probes) at three depths (0, –0.5, and –1.15 m). Experimental data show infiltration behavior that can be explained by a capillary barrier effect between the two lower probes. These results suggest that our hypothesis about hydraulic behavior is reasonable.

Abbreviations: BM, bimodal gravels hydrofacies • GPR, ground penetrating radar • M, massive gravels hydrofacies • OW, open-framework gravels hydrofacies • S, sand hydrofacies • TDR, time domain reflectometry

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				S. Lambot, A. Binley, E. Slob, and S. Hubbard Ground Penetrating Radar in Hydrogeophysics Vadose Zone J., February 25, 2008; 7(1): 137 - 139. [Full Text] [PDF]