Characterizing the Attributes of Large Burrows in the Upper Cretaceous Aruma Formation: Insights From Ground Penetrating Radar

Previous research highlights the importance of thoroughly characterizing burrow attributes [e.g., burrow percentage (BP), morphology, and diameter] to understand their effects on petrophysical properties. While traditional samples, such as hand specimens and core plugs, and outcrops aid in detailed characterization, their limitations are evident when analyzing large 3-D that can exceed 8 cm in diameter. This study introduces a new approach using ground penetrating radar (GPR) to capture these attributes, a technique not previously utilized in such research. We focus on the Upper Cretaceous Aruma Formation in central Saudi Arabia, characterized by extensive burrow networks with BPs reaching up to 40%. Using a 2.7-GHz antenna over a 1-m2 area, we aimed to assess burrow attributes with GPR, comparing the results to field observations and computed tomography (CT) scans of two samples for a thorough analysis and to evaluate GPR’s effectiveness against field and CT scan methods. This comparison highlighted GPR’s ability to detect complex burrow networks, revealing significant variations in burrow attributes that are not fully captured by other methods. Specifically, GPR data showed that the estimated BP deviated by 5% from CT scans and by 9% from field observations, attributed to its more extensive volume of coverage and deeper penetration. Further analysis confirms GPR’s precision in measuring burrow diameters ranging from 0.45 to 8.5 cm and its effectiveness in providing detailed descriptions of burrow morphology. GPR offers unique insights into large burrow systems, providing data hard to obtain otherwise and enabling a deeper understanding of their characteristics.