Radar Investigations Above the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Near Fairbanks,
Abstract
Radar and wide-angle reflection and refraction (WARR) profiles were obtained across three buried sections of the trans-Alaska pipeline near Fairbanks in late April 1983. A broad-band, pulsed radar operating in the VHF (very high frequency) range was used. The surficial geology at the three sites consisted of gravel (dredge tailings), silt and alluvium, respectively, and the sites were marginally frozen or completely thawed. At the gravel site the pipe (approximately 2 m deep) and an underlying water table were easily visible. There was no radar signature of the pipe at the silt site; the WARR profiles verified the high absorption of the material. The response was marginal at the alluvium site. High absorption due to thawing or marginal freezing conditions about the pipe makes radar a generally poor choice for mapping freeze-thaw boundaries but a good choice for estimating material state and moisture content.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA150303
Entities
People
- A. J. Delaney
- S. A. Arcone
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory