Abstract
A realistic 3D view of the epikarst is key to understanding karst groundwater phenomena. Ground penetrating radar proved to be highly effective for investigating the epikarst of a sinkhole located in the Gran Sasso karst range (central Italy). Two different low-frequency antennae (100 MHz bistatic shielded and 40 MHz bistatic unshielded) were used. The radar signal interpretation was correlated with field observations of the epikarst and borehole data. Two radar anomaly surfaces were identified, which were correlated with the top and bottom of the epikarst surface. The shape of the two surfaces correlates well with the surface topography of the study sinkhole and with the orientation of its main joints and karren. The work indicated that such a 3D reconstruction could be usefully applied to karst aquifer vulnerability studies.
Résumé
Une vue 3D de l’épikarst constitue un progrès notable pour la compréhension des écoulements karstiques. Le radar géologique s’est révélé très efficace pour reconnaître l’épikarst d’une dépression karstique située dans la chaîne du Gran Sasso (Italie centrale). Deux antennes basse fréquence (100 et 40 MHz) ont été utilisées. L’interprétation du signal radar a été corrélée avec des observations de terrain relatives à l’épikarst et des données de sondage. Deux discontinuités radar ont été identifiées et reconnues comme les surfaces supérieures et inférieures de l’épikarst. La forme des deux surfaces est contrôlée par la surface topographique de la dépression karstique étudiée et par l’orientation des discontinuités principales et des lapiaz. Le travail réalisé a montré qu’une telle reconstitution 3D pouvait être utile pour des études de vulnérabilité à la pollution d’aquifères karstiques.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank MIUR (“Ambiente terrestre” project – “Cluster C11b” subproject – D.L. 720/99) for its financial support, Prof. D. Magaldi for his critical review of a first version of the paper and Eng. Guido Manacorda (Ingegneria dei Sistemi, Pisa, Italy) for some useful suggestions on GPR technology.
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Tallini, M., Gasbarri, D., Ranalli, D. et al. Investigating epikarst using low-frequency GPR: example from the Gran Sasso range (Central Italy). Bull Eng Geol Environ 65, 435–443 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-005-0017-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-005-0017-y