A New Cost-Efficient Geophysical Method for Imaging Underground Formations

   There is a growing need for new, more effective geophysical methods to collect information on underground strata and man-made structures and objects. In many cases the traditional methods and equipment are too expensive, too slow, difficult to use, or technically inadequate to provide such information. Based on a discovery of a certain in-ground acoustic phenomena, the ever-present natural and man-made vibrations can be used to extract subsurface information. The RAP (Resonance Acoustic Profiling) system has been developed to use these phenomena for generating underground imagery, and has been extensively and successfully tested under a variety of conditions and for diverse purposes. The system proved to be effective, easy to use, and, compared to the traditional methods, much faster.

   The following are some of the current and potential application of the RAP system:

    • General geological, geophysical, hydrological, and ecological surveys
    • Exploration for mining
    • Glaciology
    • Road and foundation construction
    • Detection and mapping of buried man-made structures, such as utilities
    • Pipeline construction
    • Surveys of underground urban infrastructures
    • Defense applications
    The RAP system is portable, weighing only 10 pounds, can be operated by a single individual, and, when in full production, will be moderately priced. The system provides high-resolution geomechanical subsurface cross-sections, in which the geological strata and underground man-made structures are imaged to-scale and presented in false color. Unlike ground penetrating radar, the RAP System is capable of imaging strata under layers of water and clay to depth of up to 6,000 feet. Furthermore, the system is immune to electro-magnetic and acoustical interference.