Ground‐Penetrating Radar for Salt‐Affected Soil Assessment

Abstract

Thousands of free‐flowing wells, drilled in the 1940s and 50s to supply Florida's agricultural needs, have become sources of saline intrusion into freshwater aquifers and sources of salt‐affected soils throughout the state. The ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) with a 120‐MHz antenna was used to assess the salt‐affected area. The study was conducted at an abandoned tomato field in Lee County, Florida. The electrical conductivity (EC) value of 2 dS m−1, previously selected as the lower limit for saline soil, was also found to be a threshold value for GPR application to differentiate the salt‐affected soils. The GPR technique appears to be a useful tool for assessing the salt‐affected area within a field.