Refining sedimentological information of carbonate environments with ground-penetrating radar (GPR)

GPR is one a the most powerful tools for high resolution analysis of sedimentary environments. By analyzing the sedimentary architecture of siliciclastic systems from radar reflector andlor amplitude patterns it is even possible to derive a relative hydraulic parameter distribution [e.g. 19; 201. However, even though a standard tool for siliciclastic sediiments, to date the application of GPR for studying carbonate rocks still is far from being routine. The high potential of applying GPR to carbonate sediments will be shown by mapping out the facies distribution of massive Jurassic sponge bioherm limestone. The architectural features of Ihe Tortonian carbonate platform of Menorca will be presented with a long distancdeep penetration GPR sections. As we aim to demonstrate here, GPR sections have the potential to generally provide a valuable tool for extrapolating information from outcrops and wells by linking their depositional patterns to the internal anatomy of sedimentary systiems as recorded with GPR.