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    AUTHOR:
 MONO AUTH: Roberts, Roger Lee
MONO TITLE: A multi-technique geophysical approach to the study of landfills
            and potential groundwater contamination
 CORP INFO: Purdue Univ.; West Lafayette, IN; United States
            Master's
    SOURCE: 247
REFERENCES: 50
      YEAR: 1989
  LANGUAGE: English
  PUB TYPE: Thesis, Monographic
  ABSTRACT: A broad spectrum of surface geophysical techniques has been
            utilized over and down hydraulic gradient from two landfill
            sites located in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. The objectives of
            this study were to determine characteristics of the landfills:
            their three-dimensional configurations and stratigraphy, the
            presence of buried metal containers and highly conductive zones,
            and the possibility of contaminant plumes migrating from the
            landfills. Data were collected from surveys employing gravity,
            magnetic, magnetic gradient, ground-penetrating radar,
            electrical, EM induction, and VLF EM methods over and
            surrounding these landfills in a comparative study of the
            relative effectiveness of various techniques to achieve these
            objectives. Several aspects of different geophysical methods
            pertinent to their use in landfill investigations have been
            noted: (1) gravity data collected over one landfill were
            successful in providing a quantitative assessment of landfill
            thickness variations, density variations within the of landfill,
            and landfill porosity; (2) vertical gradient data derived from
            magnetic measurements observed at two heights provided less
            definition of magnetic anomalies than the calculated vertical
            gradient from the lower height data; (3) zones of ringing in the
            GPR data correlated well with shallow conductive zones, and
            masked the reflections from disturbances in the subsurface
            beneath the conductive zones; (4) VLF EM data were not
            particularly successful in accurately delineating shallow or
            deep conductive zones over the landfill; and (5) the glacial
            till lithology down hydraulic gradient from the landfills
            severely limited accurate interpretation of electrical
            resistivity and EM data. The conclusions reached from the study
            are applicable to landfill sites in glacial terrain with a thick
            (>30 m) cover of glacial till and outwash overlying bedrock.
            Significant differences in the character of the geophysical data
            may occur in landfill investigations in a different
            geomorphological setting. Each of the geophysical methods has
            contributed significantly to the objectives of the study. The
            multi-technique approach permitted integration of data leading
            to a more complete and reliable interpretation of the landfill
            characteristics than would have been possible if only one
            technique was performed.
MAJOR DESC: Indiana; geophysical methods
DESCRIPTOR: engineering geology; waste disposal; methods; applications;
            Tippecanoe County Indiana; Midwest; United States; geophysical
            surveys; sanitary landfills; three-dimensional models; models;
            zoning; conductivity; evaluation
 LATITUDES: N400000; N410000
LONGITUDES: W0860000; W0870000