A short course to be presented Dr. Jan Francke
Friday 23 September 2016, 1:00 pm for 5:00 pm
City West Function Centre, 45 Plaistowe Mews, West Perth WA 6005
$35 registration cost.  (Registration from 12:30.  Drinks and nibbles 5 – 6 pm)

Thanks to our sponsors Core Geophysics and Groundradar Inc. for assisting in keeping the price down.

Although a recent addition to the geophysicist’s toolbox, ground penetrating radar (GPR) is now a well-established geophysical method in Australia.  Dozens of systems are deployed daily throughout the region, mainly for civil infrastructure projects.  In addition to being one of the easiest geophysical tools with which to collect data, it is also perhaps the most misinterpreted and oversold method.

The concept of radar imaging of the subsurface is not new, with the principles having been well established over the last century.  Technological advances in GPR technology have enabled deeper and faster imaging of larger areas with higher resolution.  The workshop will begin by introducing the history of GPR along with general EM theory.  The content covers various types of GPR instruments, suitable survey environments, along with interpretation and modelling pitfalls.

The overall focus of the workshop will be on managing expectations with regards to GPR resolution and penetration, including examinations of several case studies from the region.  Recently, claims have been made of exceptional performance by devices which seemingly are outside of the bounds of physics.  These technologies will be examined and example data discussed, within the context of scientific principles.

The workshop will be led by Dr. Jan Francke, who has worked exclusively with long-range GPR technologies for 25 years in 85 countries.  His experience spans thousands of projects in environments ranging from Arctic Sweden to southern Chile.  He conducts numerous workshops every year on GPR applications in a non-academic format, relying on real-world examples rather than complex mathematical modelling and theory.

Biography

Dr. Francke is amongst the most experienced users of ground penetrating radar in the world, having spent his entire 25-year career working with deep GPR applications.  He holds a BSc from the University of British Columbia, an MSc from the University of Canterbury, and a PhD from Kings College London, all focusing on mineral exploration applications of GPR.  His field experience includes GPR projects in over 85 countries on six continents.  He has authored dozens of papers on the applications GPR to mining and geotechnical problems, and conducted numerous workshops teaching GPR principles and managing expectations on realistic GPR performance.

Please register by 21 September via the ASEG web site.