Consistency Analysis of Subsurface Fracture Characterization Using Different Polarimetry Techniques by a Borehole Radar

Abstract

We present a fully polarimetric borehole radar in conjunction with radar polarimetry, Pauli decomposition, and H-alpha decomposition techniques to carry out physical characterization of subsurface fractures. Further tests are needed to validate the applicability of radar polarimetry analysis for physical characterization of subsurface targets. Toward this goal, we present the implementation of two other decomposition techniques, namely: (1) the Durden-Freeman decomposition and (2) polarimetric anisotropy parameter methods, in the context of previous research and examine the consistency of results using various polarimetric decomposition techniques. While results from the radar polarimetry decomposition were found to depend greatly upon the kind of physical or mathematical models, these techniques seem to provide comparable performances in terms of fracture characterization and classification.