Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can be used to chart the presence, depth to, and lateral extent of diagnostic subsurface soil horizons. During the part 7 yr, USDA-Soil Conservation Service and participants in the National Cooperative Soil Survey have tested GPR in diverse physiographic regions on a wide variety of soils. The principal use of GPR has been to estimate the taxonomic composition of soil map units and to determine the accuracy of soil mapping completed by conventional sampling procedures. As the users of soil surveys become more diverse, demands are being made for more detailed and quantitative information, and often to depths greater than are presently being attained in most modern surveys. Ground-penetrating radar techniques have been used to supply more detailed and quantitative analysis of soil variability. Compared with conventional surveying methods, GPR provides continuous spatial data of subsurface features, greater depth and lateral coverage per area sampled, and higher levels of confidence in site evaluations. However, the relative success of GPR investigations remains highly site- and interpreter-dependent.
Abstract