Interpretation of the results of georadar sounding of a rock mass using a digital image

A methodological approach to interpreting the results of georadar sounding of a rock mass using a digital image is considered. The studies carried out have established that during the georadar probing of the rock masses, distortion of the induced electromagnetic field is observed in areas with different physical properties of the rocks (such as the rock mass heterogeneity, rock fracturing, zones of increased water saturation). The creation of a digital image of the electromagnetic field caused by ground penetrating radar sounding using computer modeling made it possible to significantly reduce the uncertainty in interpretation of the obtained field data through understanding the mechanism of formation of the wave characteristics and comparing synthetic data with the in-situ data. Regularities in formation of the wave patterns of the ground penetrating radar model data (changes in the in-phase axes and amplitude characteristics of the signal) of a rock mass containing structural heterogeneities have been identified. When sounding such a rock mass with the georadar, reflections from the edges of heterogeneities appear in the wave patterns in the form of hyperbola branches. The intensity of the wave field distortion is determined by the contrast of the physical properties of rocks, as well as by the spatial orientation and depth of the heterogeneity, which is a key parameter of georadar sensing. It has been established that the variability of the physical properties of rock masses near disturbances introduces significant distortions into the parameters determined by georadar sounding, including the angle of incidence of disturbances. The considered methodological approach provides the basis for creating a digital image of georadar probing of a rock mass.