Time-Lapse 3D GPR Characterization and Monitoring of Near-Surface Groundwater and Contaminant Flows

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, federal, state and local governments and private industry will spend billions of dollars annually over the next several decades to clean up groundwater sites contaminated with hazardous waste and petroleum products from a variety of sources. As many as 350,000 contaminated sites, including many sites operated by DOE, could require cleanup over the next 30 years, at an expense that may exceed $250 billion. Our research develops new technology using ground-penetrating radar to image groundwater contaminant plumes underground, and monitor them in time-lapse mode as they undergo natural biodegradation or are cleaned up by a remediation process. Our research enables engineers to monitor the effectiveness of the clean-up operation in real time, make adjustments to the remediation process if needed, and locate any residual contaminants before leaving the site. We performed a technical feasibility study to predict whether our technology would be able to image groundwater contaminants for realistic properties of rocks, water, contaminants, and radar noise conditions. We developed prototype methods and software algorithms to process time-lapse radar data to produce images and quantitative estimations of the contaminant saturation distributions underground, with uncertainty analysis. Based on the successful results of our Phase I technical feasibility study, in Phase II we plan to perform a field trial of our technology at a DOE/DOD contaminant site undergoing active biodegradation or remediation clean-up of groundwater contaminants. We plan to collect five radar surveys at 3-month intervals over the site to monitor the progress of the contaminant cleanup and advise the operator on its effectiveness. We plan to conduct further research to help our Phase I prototype methods and software become ¿industrial strength¿ and commercially viable, using the field trial data as a proving ground. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: In addition to monitoring groundwater contaminants at clean-up sites across the nation, our technology may also be useful for agricultural applications to monitor subsurface soil moisture over time to enhance crop irrigation and production. Our technology may also be useful to monitor groundwater depletion and recharge in subsurface aquifers, vital for securing the nation¿s supply of fresh water