Ground-penetrating radar method to study thawing of frozen rock at the laboratory scale

Efficient mining in the permafrost zone needs taking into account the initial geocryological situation and its possible change. The changes can be caused by various cryogenic processes connected with thawing of permafrost rocks under the influence of natural and induced factors. This article discusses abilities of the ground-radar penetrating method in monitoring of permafrost rocks. The tests of the ground-radar penetrating method in investigation of frozen sand with inclusion of formation ice at the laboratory scale allowed finding the mechanisms of change in the kinetic and spectral characteristics of signals in the period of thawing. The comparison of radarograms recorded in probing of different-degree frozen rocks shows that deceleration of signal propagation during transition of rocks from frozen condition to thawing points at the start of thawing in frozen sand with wetness above 3%. It is found that the features of the spectrum envelope of signals reflected from the boundary of the ground ice layer are related with the decreasing thickness of the ice layer during thawing. The conclusion is drawn on the considerable potential of the ground-penetrating radar method in monitoring and prediction of changes in geocryology in areas under mining.

Fedorova L. L., Fedorov M. P., Kulyandin G. A., Savvin D. V. Ground-penetrating radar method to study thawing of frozen rock at the laboratory scale. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(5):99-111. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_5_0_99.

The study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Project No. 18-45-140061 r_a.

L.L. Fedorova¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Leading Researcher, e-mail: lar-fed-90@rambler.ru,
M.P. Fedorov¹, Researcher, e-mail: mpfedoroff@gmail.com,
G.A. Kulyandin¹, Researcher, e-mail: kgavrilu@yandex.ru,
D.V. Savvin¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Senior Researcher, e-mail: savvin.denis@inbox.ru,
¹ Chersky Mining Institute of the North, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 677000, Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia.

L.L. Fedorova, e-mail: lar-fed-90@rambler.ru.

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