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Ground penetrating radar (GPR) study to detect seepage pathways in the Ajanta Caves in India

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Abstract

The present study used the ground penetrating radar (GPR) tool to decipher the presence of fractures which may be possible pathways for seepage into the Ajanta Caves in India. GPR data were collected by 40- and 200-MHz antennas from Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI). The data were edited and processed using the RADAN 6.5 software. The processed data indicate the presence of fractures of varying orientation in the basaltic formations. The study shows high reflection zones indicative of fractures as well as strong absorbance zones which may be a homogeneous zone without any fractures.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the Director of CSIR Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) for providing the necessary facilities to undertake this work. The authors thank (the late) Dr. A.K. Chakravarty and Dr. P.S. Kelkar for their keen interest and encouragement throughout the study. The cooperation received from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) staff at Ajanta Caves is gratefully acknowledged. The field assistance received from Mr. Vaijnath Deshmukh and Mr. Sanjay Bari is also acknowledged.

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Correspondence to Paras R. Pujari.

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Pujari, P.R., Soni, A., Padmakar, C. et al. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) study to detect seepage pathways in the Ajanta Caves in India. Bull Eng Geol Environ 73, 61–75 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-013-0504-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-013-0504-5

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