Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

1-1-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. in Engineering Science

First Advisor

Dr. Craig J. Hickey

Second Advisor

Dr. Hakan Yasarer

Third Advisor

Dr. Craig J. Hickey

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

Soil erosion is considered the greatest challenge for soil management and agri-food production threatening human habitat and livelihood. Although soil erosion due to surficial processes has been well studied, the role of the subsurface process such as internal soil pipes has often been overlooked. Internal soil pipes directly contribute to total soil loss in agricultural fields that severely threaten agricultural sustainability. Locating, measuring, and mapping internal soil pipes and their networks are vital to assess the total soil loss in agricultural fields. Internal soil pipes are not commonly visible at the surface, and their subsurface networks rarely follow the surface topography. The hidden and uncorrelated nature of occurrences narrows down the applicability of manual and remote sensing-based techniques. Non-invasive agrogeophysical methods can overcome these limitations by providing detailed subsurface pictures with high spatial resolution. In this research, the applicability of four agrogeophysical methods i.e., seismic refraction, electrical resistivity (ER), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and acoustics for precise detection of internal soil pipes is presented. The measurements are taken from an experimental field site with established internal soil pipes. Agrogeophysical signatures are later verified with the results of the cone penetrologger (CPL) invasive method. These verified agrogeophysical signatures provide significant insights into the spatial position and distribution of internal soil pipes. Signatures of agrogeophysical methods are presented in cross-sections and 2D Plan view maps. Cross-sections show the spatial location of soil pipes, whereas 2D plan view maps predicted the distribution of internal soil pipes networks and their path.

Concentration/Emphasis

Civil engineering

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