Ground-penetrating radar is used during waste-disposal site investigations to...

Ground-penetrating radar is used during waste-disposal site investigations to...

• A. Solve structural hazards near surface.
• B. Measure soil conductivity.
• C. Locate buried drums.
• D. Determine rock anisotropy.

Answer: (C)

Ground-penetrating radar images subsurface features by sending high-frequency radio waves into the ground and recording reflections where there are contrasts in dielectric properties. Buried metal drums create a strong contrast with surrounding soil, so they produce clear reflections that stand out on radar profiles and allow you to estimate their location and depth. This makes GPR a practical, noninvasive way to locate drums before excavation at a waste-disposal site, aiding safety and remediation planning. Other options don’t fit as well because GPR’s primary strength here is detecting discrete buried objects with strong dielectric contrast, like metal drums. It doesn’t measure soil conductivity directly, nor is it used to determine rock anisotropy or specifically solve near-surface structural hazards.

Ground-penetrating radar images subsurface features by sending high-frequency radio waves into the ground and recording reflections where there are contrasts in dielectric properties. Buried metal drums create a strong contrast with surrounding soil, so they produce clear reflections that stand out on radar profiles and allow you to estimate their location and depth. This makes GPR a practical, noninvasive way to locate drums before excavation at a waste-disposal site, aiding safety and remediation planning.

Other options don’t fit as well because GPR’s primary strength here is detecting discrete buried objects with strong dielectric contrast, like metal drums. It doesn’t measure soil conductivity directly, nor is it used to determine rock anisotropy or specifically solve near-surface structural hazards.