| Title | Imaging fluvial architecture within a paleovalley fill using ground penetrating radar, Maple Creek, Guyana |
| |
| Author | Hickin, A S; Paulen, R C ; Bobrowsky, P T |
| Source | Geological Association of Canada-Mineralogical Association of Canada, programs with abstracts; by The Desert Research Institute; Geological Association of Canada-Mineralogical Association of Canada, Joint
Annual Meeting, Programs with Abstracts 28, 2003 p. 75  Open Access |
| Links | Online - En ligne
|
| Year | 2003 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20080430 |
| Meeting | Geological Association of Canada-Mineralogical Association of Canada; Vancouver; CA; May 26-28, 2003 |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper |
| Area | Maple Creek; Guyana |
| Subjects | geophysics; ground probing radar; radar methods; fluvial deposits; placer deposits; diamond; gold; geophysical surveys |
| Released | 2003 01 01 |
| Abstract | Direct three-dimensional observation of the sedimentological structure and organization of a valley fill is often difficult. Historically, studies have relied on either the rock record or modeling and
two-dimensional observations of modern fluvial environments. Usually the critical link between subsurface structures, erosional processes and sediment deposition cannot be directly observed. However, recent development of high-resolution geophysical
methods can now bridge this gap by providing the in situ imaging of valley fill sediments.
In late 1999 and early 2000, a total of 44 km of ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey line was collected at the Vannessa Ventures Ltd.'s Maple Creek
diamond and gold placer property in Guyana, South America. Here, the quartz-rich sediment allowed for excellent depth penetration (>40 m) as well as high resolution imaging of the architecture of the fluvial valley fill sediments.
The
processed survey lines clearly imaged a number of discrete architectural elements. The most notable bounding surface is the 6th order bedrock-sediment interface that defines the paleo-bedrock surface. Another regionally extensive surface is imaged
near the top of the profiles and represents either a weathering contact or the sequence boundary between the fluvial valley fill sediments and ubiquitous surface sand. Other examples of architectural elements present in the GPR profiles are channels,
barforms, as well as downstream and lateral-accretion macroforms. Examples of GPR imagery show the internal geometry of a buried valley in a tropical setting. Trenching in the study area has confirmed many of the major reflectors and provided direct
observation of some of the fill elements. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 225964 |
|
|