Employment of GPR in the study of soils and its correlation with laboratory methods

Abstract

This work aims to evaluating some physical properties of soil using georadar associated to the CRIM equation, as well as its correlation with laboratory methods. Soil samples were obtained from deformed and undeformed in two transects to a depth of 0.5 m to determine the soil volumetric humidity and total porosity by laboratorial methods. At the same places and depths, georadar investigations were carried out, to determine the soil dielectric constant (k), which was applied the semi-empirical CRIM equation to determine the total porosity and subsequently volumetric humidity. The statistical analysis, carried out by the (“t test”), showed a significant difference at a level of 5% between the results for total porosity and volumetric humidity obtained by laboratorial and geophysical methods which are influenced by the high amount of clay and potassium in solution from the fertilizer and vinasse application. The correlation between parameters estimated with GPR and achieved with the laboratory analysis was low (r = 0.58 for total porosity and r = 0.59 for volumetric humidity), showing the difficulty in determining physical properties through such geophysical techniques.