Improved Hydrogeophysical Parameter Estimation from Empirical Mode Decomposition Processed Ground Penetrating Radar Data

Various techniques have been designed to maximize the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) as an exploration tool. Improvements in signal processing are expected to further facilitate the accuracy of parameters derived from using GPR in certain geologic environments. Common-offset GPR data were collected at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Beaufort, South Carolina, and dielectric constants were calculated following the application of the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) for dewowing GPR traces. Conventional signal processing is applied to the GPR traces to provide hydrogeophysical parameter estimates such as volumetric water content, porosity, and hydraulic conductivity. The results are validated using a coincident vertical radar profile, existing hydraulic data from direct measurements, and comparing EMD derived parameters with those non-EMD derived. The results of the comparison between the EMD and non-EMD methods show improved hydrogeophysical estimations from the EMD processed data. Dielectric constant (k) values from the non-EMD method are outside the range of the values for all geologic materials (k <= 40). The subsequent parameter estimates using dielectric constants derived from non-EMD processed data yield erroneous results therefore justifying the use of EMD as a method in dewowing GPR data for quantitative analyses.