The application of GPR and ERI in combination with exposure logging and retrodeformation analysis to characterize sinkholes and reconstruct their impact on fluvial sedimentation

Zarroca, Mario ; Comas, Xavier ; Gutiérrez, Francisco (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Carbonel, Domingo (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Linares, Rogelio ; Roqué, Carles ; Mortezza, Mozafari ; Guerrero, Jesús (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Pellicer, Xavier M.

Resumen: This work illustrates the practicality of investigating sinkholes integrating data gathered by ground penetrating radar(GPR), electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) and trenching or direct logging of the subsidence-affected sediments in combination withretrodeformation analysis. This mutidisciplinary approach has been tested in a large paleosinkhole developed during the depositionof a Quaternary terrace on salt-bearing evaporites. The subsidence structure, exposed in an artificial excavation, is located next toPuilatos, a village that was abandoned in the 1970s due to severe subsidence damage. Detailed logging of the exposure revealedthat the subsidence structure corresponds to an asymmetric sagging and collapse paleosinkhole with no clear evidence of recent ac-tivity. The sedimentological and structural relationships together with the retrodeformation analysis indicate that synsedimentary sub-sidence controlled channel location, the development of a palustrine environment and local changes in the channel pattern. GPRprofiles were acquired using an array of systems with different antenna frequencies, including some recently developed shielded an-tennas with improved vertical resolution and penetration depth. Although radargrams imaged the faulted sagging structure and pro-vided valuable data on fault throw, they did not satisfactorily image the complex architecture of the fluvial deposit. ERI showed lowerresolution but higher penetration depth when compared to GPR, roughly capturing the subsidence structure and yielding informationon the thickness of the high-resistivity alluvium and the nature of the underlying low-resistivity karstic residue developed on top ofthe halite-bearing evaporitic bedrock. Data comparison allows the assessment of the advantages and limitations of these comple-mentary techniques, highly useful for site-specific sinkhole risk management.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1002/esp.4069

Año: 2017

Publicado en: EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS 42, 7 (2017), 1049-1064
ISSN: 0197-9337

Factor impacto JCR: 3.722 (2017)

Categ. JCR: GEOGRAPHY, PHYSICAL rank: 10 / 49 = 0.204 (2017) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY rank: 28 / 189 = 0.148 (2017) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 1.493 - Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Geography, Planning and Development (Q1) - Earth-Surface Processes (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2013-40867-P

Tipo y forma: Article (PostPrint)

Área (Departamento): Área Geodinámica Externa (Dpto. Ciencias de la Tierra)