One of the many unique landscape features of the hyper-arid Atacama Desert are its polygonal networks: cracks in the salt-cemented ground that extend for hundreds of meters. These polygons were investigated using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) with a 2D and 3D survey. With the support of simulations, the GPR response was characterized and sand wedges were detected in the post-processed data, and validation was achieved
with aerial photographs of the area. This study demonstrates the capability of GPR to detect and map shallow polygonal structures even when hidden by dust and sand.
Participation is possible on site in the large meeting room of GEOZENTRUM Hannover (“Großer Sitzungssaal”) or Online via the following Webex-Link: https://liag.webex.com/liag/j.php?MTID=m66ed948cd47b9e6ef8b8a656ec3938ea
The talk will be presented in English.